How to Eat a Paopu Fruit
by FlowerLady-Aerith
Summary: High School, a time of love, tragedy, fun, and terror. There's always something new around every turn for Ven, Terra, Yuna, Aqua, and friends. From dances to football games come and see how they deal with the drama. Ven/Aqua/Terra & Yuna/Tidus & Terra/?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I was asked to do a little something for the children of our GirlNapped! Couples, Sora and Kairi and Roxas and Naminé. I agreed, naturally. But I couldn't bring myself to write an actual story for them. It just didn't work. So, I've decided to do a collection of short stories for them. It won't be updated regularly like a story. I'll just put a new bit in every now and then. There is no plot. It's just a series of events. I hope you enjoy it! _

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Movie Night_

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><p>"Ven! You're gonna miss the movie!"<p>

The one called Ven nervously brushed the imaginary dust off of his shoulders. It had happened a million times, but this time was different. This time he had an opportunity to be close to her. This time he was going to make a move. He nervously tugged the bottom of his shirt as he stared at his terrified reflection in the mirror. He was only a boy of fifteen and he was about to try and make a move on a beautiful lady of seventeen.

"Shape up, Ven. You've talked to her a million times," he encouraged himself. He ran his fingers through his naturally spiked, blonde hair. He gave himself an encouraging grin, looking much like his father, Roxas. He was his spitting image, after all.

"Ventus!"

"Coming!" Ven cried as he ran out of his room. He quickly hopped onto the banister of the stairs and slid down to the first floor of the villa where he lived with both of his parents, his uncle, his aunt, and their two children. He hopped off the edge, hurried past the kitchen, and into the living room where everyone was already gathered. He smiled and gave a nervous wave.

His mother, Naminé, smiled at him. "What took you so long?" she asked as Ven made his way past the army of people on the floor.

"Nothin'," he casually replied as he nervously sat down next to Aqua on the couch.

She smiled warmly. "I didn't think you were going to come downstairs. Terra said you were ill," Aqua greeted. Indeed, she was beautiful. Ven stared dreamily into her blue eyes. They were like pools of gentle water pulling him into their depths. Her cream-colored skin lightly glowed and looked so soft underneath the gentle lighting of their living room dimmer. Her blue hair cascaded down to her neck. How he longed to caress it. "If your bowel is upset you might benefit from eating prunes," she continued.

Ven snapped out of his daze. "W-What?" he stammered.

Aqua smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Terra said you had a bad case of constipation," Aqua explained, "Haven't you been listening?" Ven glared at the older brunette boy. He was seated on the floor a couple of feet away. He turned his head and Ven could already see the mischief in his blue eyes. He gave Ven a smirk.

Terra was the son of Sora and Kairi; he was Ven's cousin. They were best friends, but Terra liked to push his buttons sometimes. Terra was also seventeen. He was tall, tan, muscular, and handsome. He gelled down his brown, spiky hair so that the spikes were flattened and spread out. They fell to his shoulders. Most of the girls at school fawned over him. Ven never understood why.

Ven laughed sheepishly. He would seek out revenge later. Now was too important of a moment to ruin. "I-uh, just need to eat better," he laughed as he glared at the back of Terra's brown head, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Good to hear," Aqua whispered. The movie was starting. Tonight the family and a few of the farmhands (Tidus, Selphie, and Yuffie) would be viewing 'I Want to be Your Canary'. It was apparently a chick flick, Kairi insisted they watch it. As long as he would get to spend time with Aqua, Ven didn't mind.

He glanced over at his aunt and uncle. Kairi was already in tears just at the opening sequence. Ven shook his head and smiled. _'Aunt Kairi is so weird. She's such a sap,' _he thought happily. He looked to his mom. He was glad to see she wasn't in tears. His father looked a little bored, though. Ven's glance traveled to their hands which he saw were interlaced. He sighed happily; he only wished he could be with Aqua that way in the future.

Ven nervously looked at Aqua. She was completely engrossed in the film; there was already a sword fight going on. He took in a deep breath. Now was the perfect opportunity. He could gently place his hand atop hers and if she reacted negatively he could pretend he didn't know. His blue eyes narrowed with determination. He used his fingers to quietly tiptoe toward her hand. His breath hitched as he got closer and closer. He could practically feel her smooth skin underneath his palm.

"Aqua, Can you see well? Why don't you come sit up here with me? My sister won't mind moving," Terra suddenly said. Ven inwardly growled.

"If Yuna doesn't mind," came Aqua's voice. Ven's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe this was happening. Terra quickly pushed Yuna toward the couch and away from Tidus.

"C'mon," Terra beckoned.

Yuna frowned. She stood up and grumpily approached the couch. She crossed her arms and slouched in her seat. "Stupid Terra," she grumbled under her breath, "I was so close…"

"I know the feeling," Ven muttered as he sat back. He watched as Aqua quietly whispered with Terra. It wasn't fair. He knew if he was a couple of years older he would have a chance with her. Ven just knew he would be able to win Aqua's heart if he only had her attention.

The movie ended in an hour and a half. Kairi was bawling her eyes out as Sora escorted her out of the room. Naminé and Roxas left the room quietly, hands still intertwined. Ven knew what that meant. He stuck out his tongue in disgust. He loved that his parents were in love, he just didn't like to think of their actions of 'love'.

"Guess we should get goin', eh?" Yuffie said as she stood up and stretched her arms.

Yuna frowned. "So soon?" she asked as she walked over to her raven-haired friend.

Yuffie nodded. "It's getting late," she attempted to explain.

Tidus approached the two ladies. "In order words, Yuffie's got a date with destiny," he joked. Yuffie stuck out her tongue at him.

"I should probably get home too. We've got school tomorrow, after all," Aqua suddenly announced. Ven froze.

"Let me walk you to the door," Terra suggested with a smile.

Ven quickly intervened. "I can do it. Besides, Terra it's time for you to uh-apply your acne cream, right? Ooh, and you need it too you're breaking out all over the place! I have to go outside anyway," he hurriedly explained, "C'mon, Aqua. Why don't I walk you home while I'm at it?"

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Ven. I'll see you tomorrow, Terra," she quickly said as Ven ushered her out of the living room.

Ven breathed a sigh of relief once they were out the front door. He was glad to know Terra couldn't ruin things this time. This time he was going to make his move. Aqua and Ven made their way down the road toward where Aqua lived. She lived over the hill; she was never that far away, which was how Ven liked it. He was able to walk with her to school every morning.

He glanced over at her. She was staring at the moon. He loved the way the moonlight made her glow. She was stunning. "S-So," he croaked hoarsely. He quickly cleared his throat and laughed nervously. "So, how did you like the movie?" he asked.

"It was sweet," Aqua replied gently, "I only wish the princess was able to be with her love while she was alive."

Ven nodded. "Yeah, tragic love is the worst," he added.

She chuckled lightly, "It would seem so."

"Then again, u-unrequited love ain't so great either," Ven nervously added. He felt his palms become sweaty as he nervously rubbed them together. His heart pounded in his chest. This was his moment.

"Aw, Ven. You're so sweet. Is there someone that you love?" Aqua asked curiously. Ven took a deep breath and nodded his head. She smiled. "I'm sure the lucky girl feels the same way. You're a wonderful guy. I only wish…"

His heart practically jumped out of his chest. "Y-You wish what?" he quickly asked almost too enthusiastically.

She placed her hand on her heart. "That he returned my feelings," she whispered.

"He'd have to be crazy not to!" Ven defended, "You're the prettiest girl on the island, Aqua!"

She smiled. "Ven, you don't have to say that to cheer me up. I don't think a guy like that would be interested in someone like me," she answered as they reached her doorstep.

Ven furiously shook his head. "There's no way. I know for a _fact _there's someone that loves you. I know the guy really well, you could say," he replied sweetly. He felt the excitement building up inside him.

"Is it Terra?" Aqua quietly asked.

His heart dropped. "T-Terra?" Ven croaked, "You love him?"

She blushed and looked away shyly. "I-I don't know if I love him. But I do like him a lot," she attempted to explain, "But I can tell from your reaction he doesn't feel the same. Just forget I said anything. I'll see you tomorrow, Ven."

He watched as she slipped into her house and locked the door behind her. Ven sighed as the cold feeling of heartbreak washed over him like a tidal wave. "Terra? Why Terra?" he grumbled as he kicked a rock.

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><p><em>AN: I know it's short, but the chapters will come up quick so it'll make up for it. Please, PLEASE tell me what you thought! I'd love to receive some constructive criticism! Please review with any comments, questions, or concerns and I will definitely get back to you!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: All right! Second chapter! I plan to put up the third tomorrow. I don't want to release everything all at once. This way you guys will be quite entertained for at least a day. I would like to say a little about the pairings. I'm trying something new. Initially, I was asked to write this story by Colonel Mycroft, but we had a disagreement in how it should go about. But I agreed to keep the pairings he had suggested. I don't really mind them. I don't side with either Ven and Aqua or Terra and Aqua fans. I don't know; it's hard to see romance between either pairing for me. But in this story, I will be trying new things and mixing it up. So, some pairings might be a little weird to you. But as I stated before, this is just a random compilation of events for them. And it's high school, is anything really permanent? Well, enjoy!  
><em>

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Sickly_

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><p>"So there's a bug goin' around school, huh?" Kairi asked as she placed a wet cloth on Yuna's forehead. Yuna nodded and closed her eyes; closing her eyes made her aching head feel a bit better. "I thought as you got older your immune system might get stronger," Kairi sighed as she reached for the thermometer on Yuna's nightstand.<p>

"Doesn't look like it," Yuna weakly answered. She opened her eyes and watched her mother clean the thermometer. "It's not really that bothersome anymore. It's just a part of life," she added in an attempt to cheer up her mother. She knew when it came to her and her brother's health, Kairi always felt guilty. Yuna never blamed her, though. She knew her mother didn't mean to cause her any physical grief.

"Open," Kairi gently commanded. Yuna opened her mouth and Kairi gently placed the thermometer underneath Yuna's tongue. Kairi monitored the thermometer as she stroked Yuna's brown hair. "Do you think you will miss much at school tomorrow?" she asked comfortingly. Yuna shook her head. "That's good," she whispered sadly.

The alarm sounded and Kairi took the thermometer out of Yuna's mouth. She sighed when she saw the final result. "You have a temperature of 100 degrees," Kairi reported, "I think you're going to have to stay home tomorrow."

"It's okay, it's just a Friday," Yuna assured. She could already see the distraught look in her mother's eyes.

Kairi shook her head and looked away. "I'm really sorry, Yuna," she whispered, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I really wish I could go back in time and change what happened when I was pregnant with you and your brother." Yuna caught a glimpse of the tears beginning to well up in Kairi's eyes. She frowned; Yuna hated to see her mother cry.

"Mom, don't cry," Yuna begged. She slowly sat up and put her arms around her mother. She rested her head on Kairi's shoulders. "It's not your fault, mom. You didn't know you were pregnant. You were so sick you had to focus on just staying alive," Yuna cooed quietly, "It's okay, because I know you love me and Terra. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt us. There's no reason to apologize or blame yourself." She felt a lump in her throat as she attempted to hold back her tears. She had her mother's sensitivity.

Kairi smiled at her daughter and wiped her eyes. "You're so sweet, Yuna," she praised, "I'm really glad that I got to be your mother. You and your brother are everything to me. It just pains me to see you so weak. I just wish I could make you stronger."

Yuna shook her head. "We have gotten stronger. It's not as bad anymore. We used to be sick at least once every two months when we were younger. Now we only get sick when there's an epidemic of some sort," Yuna explained encouragingly, "And that's because you took such great care of us."

"Thank you, Yuna," Kairi whispered, "But you should probably lie down now." Kairi stood up from Yuna's bed and helped to tuck her in. "I'll be in here first thing in the morning to see how you're feeling, okay?" she whispered.

"All right, mom," Yuna replied with a smile, "I love you."

"I love you too," Kairi whispered. She bent down and kissed the top of Yuna's head. "Goodnight," she cooed before she left the room. Kairi quietly closed the door and leaned against it. She sighed and stared at the ceiling. _'I should've been more cautious,' _she thought sadly.

Terra walked up the stairs and spotted his mother standing in front of Yuna's door. He frowned at her forlorn expression. He approached her and gave her a tender smile. "How is Yuna?" he asked gently.

"Oh, uh-she's got a fever, but she seems to be doing all right," Kairi answered, "What are you still doing up, anyway? You've got school tomorrow."

"I was helping dad with the farm," Terra explained.

Kairi nodded. "Oh, all right. How are you feeling? Yuna said there was something going around the school. Have you been feeling sick at all?" she asked worriedly. She walked toward Terra and felt his forehead. "You are kind of warm," she assessed.

Terra chuckled and moved Kairi's hand away. "Mom, I'm fine!" he exclaimed, "Don't be such a worry-wart. I doubt I'll catch anything."

Kairi sighed and nodded. "I know, I know. You say that every time, but I'm your mother. Worrying is part of the job description," she joked, "But seriously, go to bed." She yawned and stretched her arms behind her back. "I think I will too," she added with a smile.

"I'm going," Terra reluctantly answered, "Good night."

She shook her head. "It's not a good night without a kiss," she teased. Mischief danced in her eyes as she smiled at her son.

"Mom!" Terra exclaimed in embarrassment.

"Kiss yer mom!"

Terra turned his head and saw Ven with his head poked out of his bedroom door. He was wearing his Captain Lion pajamas; Ven still loved super heroes. Terra glared at the boy. He turned his attention back to Kairi who was patiently waiting. "Fine," he grumbled. He quickly gave Kairi a peck on the cheek; he had to bend over since he was taller than her. "Good night," he quickly whispered.

"Good night," Kairi said cheerily.

Ven stuck out his tongue at Terra who only glared. "My mom knows I'm all grown up," Ven boasted proudly, "She'd never ask fer something like that."

"I wouldn't, huh?"

Ven froze. He turned his head toward the stairs. Naminé grinned at him. "Hi mom," Ven greeted quickly, "I was just-uh, going to bed like you told me to."

"Since you're still up I want a hug and _a kiss_," Naminé requested as she walked toward Ven's bedroom door, "And if you refuse, you're grounded."

"Mom!" Ven whined. Terra smirked and went into this bedroom. Truth be told, he wasn't feeling that great. But there was no way he was going to tell Kairi that; she had enough to worry about.

"I'm waiting, Ven," Naminé stated in a singsong voice.

Ven grimaced. He reluctantly pulled his mother into a hug. "I love you, ma," he whispered through gritted teeth. He pulled away and kissed her cheek.

Naminé smiled at him. "The things I have to put you through just to get a little love," she lamented jokingly, "I gave you life, mister. It's about time you started appreciating me more. When you were a kid you didn't mind giving your mom a hug and a kiss. Well, I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

Roxas came up the stairs. "Son, what are yuh doin' outta bed?" he cried in horror.

"It's okay, was talking to mom," Ven quickly answered.

Roxas breathed a sigh of relief. He remembered the last time Ven didn't go to bed on time. Naminé nagged the entire night about how he wasn't being an attentive father. She literally nagged all through the night; he didn't get a lick of sleep. He did not want to receive that lecture again. He spotted Naminé from down the hall. She smiled at him as she stood in front of the door to their bedroom. "Ven was just giving me a little love!" she explained.

"Ah, so can I give yuh some love?" Roxas asked with a flirtatious smirk.

Naminé smiled and took her hair down from the bun it was in. "I'll be waiting," she whispered as she tossed her hair. She blew a kiss toward him before she entered their bedroom. Roxas grinned excitedly.

"Dun' worry, babe. I'll bring yuh a lotta love!" he called after her. He smirked and licked his lips. He was going to have fun tonight.

Ven grimaced. "That was disgusting!" he cried before he shut the door to his bedroom.

Roxas shrugged. "Eh, he won't think that in a couple of years...I hope."

"Nah, Rox. I'm purty sure Ven is always gonna think yuh an' yer lady's sex life is disgustin'. If he didn't, I'd be worried," Sora commented as he walked up the stairs.

"I dunno, I thought he might appreciate tuh fact me an' his mom have passion," Roxas explained.

Sora shook his head. "I think only girls enjoy that weird shit. If a boy enjoyed his parents 'passion' he'd be in tuh room videotapin' fer em' while they made love," he replied with a grimace, "That's a lovely idea tuh go tuh sleep to...thanks, bro."

"Uh...yer welcome?" Roxas muttered as he watched his brother walk away.

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><p><em>AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this! By the way, I just want to put this out there. If you have an idea of something you'd like to see in this, please ask me to write it. I love receiving ideas from readers. So, feel free to throw them at me and I'll tell you if I can do them. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought! Love you guys!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: The third chapter is now up! I'm really excited to be posting these. I think I've got some great ideas for this story. And the offer still stands, feel free to make suggestions and what not.  
><em>

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Valentine's Day_

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><p>Ven tugged at his collar. He didn't know how he was going to do this, but he was doing to do it. Ven, a high school sophomore, was going to give Aqua, a high school senior, a Valentine's present. Yes, they'd known each other for years. Yes, they walked to school together every day with Terra and Yuna. Yes, Ven had harbored feelings for her since he first met her when they were kids. Yet, he had yet to confess them. Today was the day he was going to make it clear. Now if only his feet would move.<p>

"So, what are you waiting for?"

Ven's skeleton nearly jumped out of his body. "Y-Yuna!" he stammered fearfully. He put his hand on his heart as he breathed deeply.

She stifled her laughter and smiled; she loved that Ven was so shy when it came to Aqua. She thought it was really cute. "Just go give it to her, Ven. Besides, you never know she might have something for you too," Yuna said encouragingly, "Just go up to her lunch table and ask her for her attention."

"But all her senior friends are there!" Ven exclaimed, "I can't just go up to her!"

Yuna suddenly gasped, "Look!" Ven looked toward Aqua's table once again and saw a guy standing next to Aqua with a heart-shaped box of chocolates in his hand. It was none other than Zack Fair, captain of the football team. He'd had his eyes set on Aqua for a while, but Aqua always shyly declined his advances. Ven could already see the blush on her face. Zack handed her the chocolates and smiled at her. Ven felt his blood boil over.

"I can't believe this," Ven grumbled, "I can't give this piece of trash to her now!" Ven stared down at the present in his hand. He had written Aqua a poem that he wanted to read to her. He crumbled up the piece of paper and tossed it into the nearby trashcan. "I'll see you around, Yuna," he sighed as he walked out of the cafeteria.

"Ven!" Yuna cried but he was already gone. She frowned.

"What's goin' on, Yunie?"

Yuna looked behind her and saw her best friend smiling at her. Her name was Rikku. She was a little shorter than Yuna, but not by much. She had bright blonde hair that was usually fashioned in multiple braids and colored beads and pulled back into a hair band. She had bright green eyes with curious swirls. "What's wrong with, Venny?" Rikku asked with a tilt of her head.

Yuna sighed and turned to her best friend. "Ven was going to give Aqua a Valentine's Day present, but he just saw Zack Fair give her something first," Yuna explained sadly. She reluctantly stuck her hand into the trashcan and pulled out Ven's crumbled poem. She was just glad it hadn't touched any of the thrown away food. "He wrote her a poem," she sighed.

Rikku's eyes sparkled. "A poem! That's so romantic!" she squealed dreamily, "I wish Terra would write me a poem!" Rikku giggled excitedly as she twirled around. Yuna grimaced; she still hadn't adapted to Rikku's crush on her brother. Rikku shook her head and refocused. "We can't let this injustice rest! We must give Aqua the poem Ven worked so hard to write for her!" she declared.

"Have you been reading romantic manga again?" Yuna asked with a raised brow.

The blonde girl gave her a nervous smile. "It's _so _cute, I can't help myself," she squeaked, "But that's not what's important here! We must unite Aqua and Ven together in love!" Rikku punched the air and struck a pose. Yuna sighed and shook her head at the blonde girl.

"I don't even know if Aqua likes Ven," Yuna stated as she stared at the blue haired girl from afar. Aqua stood up from her table and put the box of chocolates in her bag.

"Now's the chance to strike!" Rikku practically screamed. A few heads turned toward them in the cafeteria; Yuna nervously waved them off. Rikku grabbed Yuna's arm and rushed toward Aqua who was quickly exiting the cafeteria. "Aqua!" she screamed gleefully, "Aquaaa!"

Aqua paused in front of the doors. "Yuna? Rikku?" she called quizzically. Before they could say anymore, the door swung open hitting Aqua in the head. She fell onto the ground unconscious.

Rikku winced. "I hope that isn't permanent," she whispered guiltily.

Yuna shrugged. "It can't be worse than the time I introduced you to my parents. When I said your named was Rikku they tried to rip off your 'fake face' remember? My dad and uncle nearly chased you out the house with their weird, giant keys," she chuckled at the memory.

"Yeah…your family is weird," Rikku mumbled.

Rikku and Yuna lifted Aqua from the ground and slung her arms over both their shoulders. They crept out of the cafeteria and hurried to the nurse's office.

"What happened to Aqua?" the nurse asked in shock.

"She got hit by a door," Yuna explained, "Can you give her this when she wakes up? It's really important to her." A little lie never hurt anyone. She quickly spread out the piece of paper and folded it neatly; she slipped it to the nurse.

"Of course," the nurse answered. She took the newly un-crumbled piece of paper. "You two should get going, classes are going to start soon," she advised.

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><p>An hour passed and Aqua came to. She opened her eyes and looked around. "What happened to me?" she asked as she lifted herself from the infirmary bed.<p>

The nurse smiled at her. "You got hit by a door, dear. How are you feeling?" she asked as she walked over to Aqua.

"I'm fine. I have a headache, though," Aqua explained.

"I'll give you some Advil and you can return to class," the nurse quickly said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of Advil. She gave Aqua two pills and a hall pass. "Oh, and before I forget, here," she said with a smile. She handed Aqua the piece of paper.

Aqua stared at it with confused eyes. "Um…thank you," she whispered gratefully. She picked up her bag from the ground. "I'll see you around," she stated before she hurried out of the Nurse's office. She stopped by the water fountain to take her pills before she returned to class.

"Today we will study the Brain!"

Aqua slipped into the classroom. She handed her teacher the nurse's note and hurried to her seat. The teacher continued to lecture as Aqua pulled out her notebook and pen.

"I heard you got hit by a door, are you all right?"

Aqua looked to her right. Terra was seated in the seat next to her. Aqua nodded. "I'm fine," she whispered. Terra smiled at her and Aqua smiled back. She remembered the piece of paper the nurse gave her. She pulled it out of her pocket and unfolded it. _'This looks like Ven's writing,' _she thought as she secretly read it. She blushed and quickly re-folded it. "Ven," she whispered.

"What was that, Ms. Aqua?"

Aqua snapped out of her daze. "Sorry, I'm still a little out of it. Could you repeat that, sir?" she quickly asked. The teacher nodded and repeated the point he had just said. Aqua quickly wrote it down even though her mind was elsewhere. She had to talk to Ven afterschool, privately.

Once class was out, Aqua chased Terra down the hall. The brunette had such a long stride she had to run just to keep up. "Terra!" she called as she hurried after him.

He turned around to face her. "What is it?" he asked curiously. Aqua usually walked the other way after class. He wondered what was so important she would risk being late to her statistics course. Surely she wasn't trying to give him a Valentine's gift. Not that he would mind if she did.

"What is it that Ven has afterschool?" Aqua asked desperately. Not what he was expecting.

Terra tapped his chin. "Um, oh! He goes to Fencing club," Terra quickly answered. Before he could ask her why she wanted to know that, Aqua shouted a 'thank you' and hurried in the other direction. He shrugged. "That was weird," he mumbled.

"Terraaa!" came a squeal. Terra grimaced. He knew that squeal all too well. He knew it so well he felt comfortable with the idea of strangling the person it belonged to. "Terra, please don't ignore me! I promise I won't take up too much of your precious time!" Rikku giddily skipped toward him with her hands behind her back.

"You know how I feel about talking to my little sister's friends," Terra grumbled as he stared at her. The happy glow of her green eyes annoyed him. Her extreme forms of emotion disgusted him. He wondered how it was possible for her to be so animated all the time; it irritated him to no end.

"Little sister? You two are twins!" Rikku laughed.

"She came out last, anyway. What is it that you want?" Terra huffed.

"To give you this!" Rikku announced proudly. From behind her back, she pulled out a chocolate rose with a card attached to it. "Happy Valentine's Day!" she exclaimed.

Terra took the rose and stared at it. He was pleasantly surprised. He had expected more from Rikku. She was usually very gaudy and over-the-top with her gifts. One year she gave Yuna a bird for her birthday because Yuna wanted a pair of feather earrings. Rikku claimed it was better to give Yuna a whole bird, that way she could have an unlimited supply. "Thanks," he said gratefully, "Happy Valentine's to you to."

Rikku winked at him catching him off-guard. "I expect something back on White Day," she whispered, "See you around, Terra."

Terra felt his heart flutter as he watched her walk away. He shook his head. "Ugh, what's wrong with me? I don't have time for girls," he grumbled as he walked into his class room.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean we're not practicing today?" Ven whined, "I was ready to let off some steam!" He stared at the sign on the door where the Fencing club met. He growled and began to walk the other direction. Now he was going to have to walk home alone since everyone left already. The day was just getting worse and worse for Ven. Due to the Aqua incident at lunch, he'd neglected to eat anything. When he secretly tried to munch on a snack during class the teacher had caught him and gave him detention for the next afternoon. Due to the Aqua incident at lunch, he'd sulked down the hallways and because of his slow pace he got knocked over twice. Due to the Aqua incident at lunch, he'd accidently bumped into a basketball player who punched him in the arm for daring to touch him. Due to the Aqua incident at lunch, he didn't pay attention during chemistry and ending up exploding a test tube. He just hoped poor Vivi wasn't blinded for life. Ven sighed.<p>

"Ven?"

He froze. "A-Aqua?" he stammered as he slowly spun around on his heels, "W-What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him and approached him. "I wanted to talk to you," she explained, "Is it all right if we talk?" Ven nodded robotically; he couldn't believe this was happening. "I got the poem you wrote for me," she explained. She pulled it out of her pocket and showed him.

Ven blushed. "How did you get that? I thought I threw that away!" Ven exclaimed in embarrassment. _'She probably came to let me down easily,' _he thought with a slight frown.

"I'm not sure…the nurse gave it to me, but I just wanted to tell you it was really sweet. I really liked it, Ven," Aqua praised, "Why would you throw this away?"

He sighed and looked away. "I saw Zack give you those chocolates so I didn't think you would want it," he explained, "I know it isn't much."

Aqua shook her head. "No, this means so much more. Zack didn't put much thought into his present, but you wrote this special for me. It means more to me than a thousand chocolate boxes," she confessed, "You're the sweetest guy I've ever met, Ven. Thank you."

Ven felt time slow as he watched Aqua's face drift nearer to his. He felt his heart jump as her lips approached his cheek. This is what he'd dreamt about since he was ten. This couldn't be happening. He felt himself melt as her lips made contact with his cheek. Ven let out a dreamy sigh. He wouldn't care if the whole football team suddenly charged down the hall and pummeled him. He wouldn't care if he walked outside and was struck by lightning. He wouldn't care if a herd of elephants suddenly stormed the school halls and squished him, no wait, he would definitely care. Ven needed to live so one day he could earn another kiss.

"Will you walk me home?" Aqua asked.

He snapped out of his daze. "S-Sure," Ven stammered.

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><p><em>AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! This one was one of the funnest for me to write. But please tell me what you thought! I kind of feel like I'm shooting in the dark here. Leave me a review with your comments, questions, or concerns (or at three lol) and I'll definitely get back to you! _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates for the past two days. To be honest, I haven't really been feeling it. I'm in another one of my down phases. Comes around every few months or so. It's a cycle unlike any other. But I have some bad news. This story, it's going to be my last on this website. In fact, it's going to be my last in the fanfiction area. I'm sorry to leave so suddenly but I think it's time. I've really loved writing for you all, but it's just not the same for me anymore. I promise to finish my projects, but after the prequel and this is over. I shall be gone. I'll still reply to emails and read and what not. Just no more writing.  
><em>

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Volunteer Work_

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><p>Yuna carefully and cautiously walked down the cobblestone paths of the main island's market street. It seemed as though everyone had something to sell that Saturday afternoon. She politely denied the offers for her to try on jewelry or taste food samples. She was on a mission of her own, after all.<p>

The day before she received a letter from Destiny Island University (a university she'd dreamt of attending since she was ten) that stated she needed more extra-curricular activities before they could fully consider her application. Determined, Yuna decided to do some volunteer work to fill the need. Also, she had been itching to do something around town. Staying home every night doing homework wasn't the most exciting thing in the world. Yuna naturally had a helping heart so she naturally yearned to assist people, especially people that weren't in her own family circle.

She reached her destination, the town hall. Yuna smiled and walked toward the building. Right beside the front entrance there was a bulletin board with many fliers and all sorts of informative papers tacked onto it. She approached the board and stared in awe. Yuna didn't know where to begin. She started with the far left corner. "Hm, I could help around the bakery," she thought aloud. She continued to scan the board. Yuna silently read many papers that were all asking for help. It seemed that help was needed everywhere. The town was looking for volunteers to keep the water clean, volunteers in the soup kitchens for the less fortunate, volunteers for the neighborhood watch, and even volunteers to monitor litter on the streets.

"What're you looking at so intently?"

Yuna's heart fluttered from the sound of his voice. Tidus. She quickly composed herself and turned to face him. She gave him a gentle smile. "The bulletin board. I need some more extra-curriculars for my application to Destiny Island U," Yuna explained, "I just have no idea what I should do. There's so many options."

Tidus shifted his weight to one leg and tapped his chin. "Hm, I once worked in a soup kitchen. It wasn't so bad. You could maybe try that one," he suggested, "Or maybe you should look for something more geared toward what you want to do at the university? That would look good too."

Yuna smiled. Tidus was always so willing to help her. She loved how kind he was. "I was hoping to study medicine and healing magic," Yuna explained, "I really want to be able to help people in the future."

"That's so like you, Yuna. You make me look like a loser for going out for a Blitzball scholarship," Tidus joked with another of his dazzling smiles. Yuna just wanted to melt at the sight.

"But it worked for you, Tidus. Now you have a degree in management and can open your own hotel like you've been wanting to," Yuna encouraged.

Tidus shrugged and grinned. "Yeah, but that would require me to stop playing the game," he laughed, "And that probably won't happen anytime soon."

"But you still can," Yuna repeated with a smile of her own. She wished she could be in a place like Tidus once she was his age. She also wished she could be with Tidus when she was his age. He was twenty-three and she was only seventeen, but she still believed that their relationship could work out. She'd loved him since she was fifteen and admired him from afar since she was nine. She loved being around him, which was why she was so glad Tidus kept coming to the farm to help out when he could.

"Ah, well back to you. I think I know just the thing for you, Yuna. Why don't you volunteer at the free clinic?" Tidus suggested, "I'm sure you could pick up a few things there that would help with your major."

Yuna paused and thought about it. The free clinic would give her an opportunity to help other people, as well as, learn a bit of white magic. It was a win-win situation. "That's not a bad idea, Tidus," she praised, "I should go ask them about it tomorrow."

Tidus looked to the sky. "Yeah, it's too late to stop by now. They only take volunteers at the beginning of the day. But I think it'll help you get into the university. Of course, they'd be mad not to accept you, you're smart," he complimented, "Where are you headed now?"

Yuna linked her hands together behind her back. She had planned to return home once she nailed a volunteer job, but now she didn't want to. She thought this might be a good opportunity to spend some quality time with Tidus. She smiled shyly. "I was going to go spend some time on the beach," she lied. She knew how Tidus loved the beach.

"Really? How about I join you and then walk you home after? Can't have anything happening to you," Tidus offered.

Yuna's smile widened; she felt overjoyed to hear that he wanted to spend time with her. "Well, okay," she shyly agreed. Tidus offered her his arm and she gladly took it. She couldn't believe she was walking down the street with Tidus in her arms. She blushed. This was going to be a wonderful afternoon.

Yuna and Tidus sat on the bank of the sandy beach. They had taken off their shoes to let the warm water blanket their toes. Yuna smiled at Tidus. She loved how the sunlight shined through his rich, blonde hair. She loved how the sunlight lit up his ocean blue eyes. She loved how the sunlight enhanced his beautiful tanned skin. He was absolutely gorgeous, especially in the _sunlight_. She watched him amorously; Yuna couldn't help but notice the look on his face. He seemed so deep in thought.

'_Perhaps when you get older you think more?' _she thought as she watched him. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"So, it turns out I've got another game to play," Tidus began, "We're going pretty far away this time. We're going to a place called The Pridelands."

Yuna frowned. She hated when he went away; she wished he could always be on Destiny Islands. "How long will you be gone this time?" she dared to ask. The longest Tidus had ever been away was three months, and they were the longest three months of her life. Yuna was practically driven mad by his absence. The only thing that kept her going was his letters that she received every couple of weeks.

"Just a couple of weeks," Tidus answered, "Will you miss me?" He gave her a joking smile.

Yuna smiled and looked away. "Of course," she answered truthfully, "The islands aren't the same when you're not around."

Tidus put his hand on her shoulder. "How about I bring ya back a gift to make up for it?" he suggested, "Maybe a pretty necklace or something else that you would like."

Yuna quickly faced him and protested, "Oh, no, Tidus! You don't have to do that. I don't need anything. The only gift I need is for you to be here." She quickly blushed. She couldn't believe she said that out loud. What was he going to think now? She could see it now.

"_Yuna, you're such a child! Only children think like that. I'm looking for a woman and looks like you're not it. Have fun playing with your dollies!" _

To her surprise, Tidus smiled at her. "Then why don't you get me a gift?" he suggested slyly, "When I return how about you spend an evening with me? I'll take you out to dinner and we can come here and just talk."

Was he asking her out? Yuna couldn't decide. She didn't want to seem too eager or excited, but she didn't want to seem uninterested either. "That sounds nice," Yuna answered with a small smile, "You can tell me all about the trip."

"All right!" Tidus cheered. The excitement in his eyes was enough to take her breath away. She felt faint.

"Yunie!"

Both Tidus and Yuna looked across the expanse of water to spot Rikku pass by on a jet ski. She grinned widely and waved at both of them. Yuna shyly waved back. She suddenly felt embarrassed and little ashamed; it almost felt like she got caught sneaking out of the house or something.

Rikku came closer to the shore as she continued to wave. "Yunie!" she called again happily. She waved both hands in the air and giggled happily right before she smashed into the pier.

Tidus quickly jumped to his feet. "Geez! That had to hurt!" he winced, "C'mon, Yuna. We gotta go make sure she's all right." He helped Yuna to her feet and together they ran toward the pier where Rikku had crashed. Luckily, Rikku's collision had caused her to fly off of the jet ski and onto the boards of the pillar. She appeared to be unconscious.

Yuna knelt down beside her. "Rikku," she cooed, "Are you all right?" She gently shook the girl but received no response. She frowned and felt herself begin to panic.

"Ah, we've got to get her some help," Tidus muttered under his breath as he looked around for anyone. No one else was on the beach.

"W-We don't have time," Yuna stammered, "I can do this." She nervously placed a hand on Rikku's forehead. She closed her eyes and focused her attention to Rikku's injuries. She whispered a cure spell causing green light to come from her hands and spread around Rikku's body. She opened her eyes and stared down at her friend. "Rikku?" she called nervously. She'd never tried the spell on anyone before.

Rikku groaned and opened her eyes. "What happened?" she asked as she sat up.

"You crashed," Tidus answered, "You were in pretty bad shape, but Yuna healed you."

Rikku grinned widely. "Yunie saved me!" she cheered happily as she pulled the brunette into a hug.

"Thank goodness you're all right," Yuna breathed a sigh of relief.

Rikku pulled away and stretched her arms. "I'll bet my jet ski isn't in good shape, though. Dad's gonna kill me," she whined as she looked over the edge of the pier. She sighed and turned her attention back to Tidus and Yuna. "I don't mean to interrupt your date, but do you think you can help me pull it up to shore?" she asked obliviously.

Yuna's entire face turned red. A date? "Rikku we're not on a date!" she quickly corrected, "We were just spending some time together on the beach." She laughed sheepishly as she helped Rikku to her feet.

"Hm, that's weird. You too looked so cozy on the shore, though. I coulda sworn –."

Yuna quickly covered her mouth before she could say anything else. "Just spending time together," she corrected again in a high-pitched voice.

"Yeah," Tidus joined in. Yuna felt her heart sink. "We won't have a real date until I get back from The Pridelands," he added with a sly smile. Yuna felt her cheeks heat up; today was unbelievable.

Rikku squealed excitedly. "I'm so happy for you guys! I never thought – Yuna's liked you for so long Tidus! She said she's been in love with you since forever! I'm so happy that you're giving her a chance!" she shrieked happily as she bounced up and down.

Yuna felt faint. Had Rikku no sense? How could she just scream all of that to the world? "Rikku!" she exclaimed in embarrassment.

Tidus rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't realize I was so popular," he mumbled shyly. Yuna was mortified. This couldn't be happening.

"Oh…you didn't tell him yet? Well geez, Yuna. You need to confess already!" Rikku lectured as she hopped down into the shallow water underneath the pier, "He's not going to be single forever!"

Yuna nervously looked toward Tidus. She loved how cute he looked when he was confused. "T-The crash must've given her a bit of head trauma. She doesn't know what she's saying," Yuna sheepishly laughed.

"Right, okay then," Tidus agreed. He gave her a look of disbelief.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Yuna wasn't ready to tell Tidus how she felt; she wouldn't be ready for a while. "We should go help," she suggested awkwardly in an attempt to change the subject. Tidus nodded. She didn't see his smile as she hopped down into the water.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I forgot to mention this last chapter. But for the person who asked for Vanitas, I already planned on throwing him in here. I've been dying to write him in context. Anyway, enjoy the chapter guys! _

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Parent's Night Out_

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><p>"Should I go over the rules again?" Naminé asked as she put on her diamond earrings.<p>

"No! You've gone over the rules a million times!" Ven exclaimed in frustration, "Trust me, we get it. No friends over. No one over. No locking people out of the house, _no matter how badly they deserve it_." He glanced at Terra who only smirked at him. Terra lived to instigate Ven.

"And no wild parties or staying up late," Yuna finished with a smile.

Sora grinned. "That's my girl! She'll keep these guys in line," he said confidently. He was glowing with pride for his daughter. How could he not? She was an honor roll student and valedictorian of her class. Yuna's grades were so high they had to add to the GPA scale just for her.

"You know you have a son too," Kairi reminded Sora with a sly smirk. She kissed his cheek and smiled. "Don't expect us home before midnight!" she chirped excitedly, "We're gonna dance all night!" She shook her hips and bumped Sora's pelvis.

Roxas chuckled, "Or at least till one of us dies." Naminé slapped his arm. "What? I know yuh ladies dun' like tuh think bout' it but we're not as young as we used to be. I might jus' pass out on tuh dance floor!" Roxas laughed.

"Maybe you're not young, but I am!" Naminé cried furiously. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Her smile quickly turned into a frown. "I forgot my anti-wrinkle cream!" she cried in horror. She quickly ran to the bathroom to apply it.

Roxas growled and scratched his head. "Naminé! Yer only 38 yuh dun' need anti-wrinkle cream, woman!" he cried in anger. He hated when Naminé did this. Growing old had made Naminé a bit paranoid about her looks; he figured it was a result of her mother's insistent vanity. He ran after her.

Ven nervously kicked his foot. Sometimes his parents embarrassed him. "So-uh…when yuh leavin'?" he asked in an attempt to divert the attention his parents had just stolen.

Kairi smiled at her nephew. "Soon enough, my darling!" she chirped excitedly. She patted Ven on the head and then walked toward the stairs. "C'mon, Sora! We can wait for them in the car!" she cried as she walked down the stairs. After a few minutes, the four loving parents were gone. Naminé wasn't allowed to apply her anti-wrinkle cream either.

Ven breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought they would never leave!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, they do take their time getting places," Yuna agreed, "Anyway, let's get this party started!" Yuna cheered and screamed excitedly as she hurried to the back door where all the party guests were eagerly waiting.

"What!" Ven exclaimed in pure shock, "Yuna! We can't have a party!"

Yuna frowned and turned to glare at Ven. "I haven't had any fun since I turned seven! Being the perfect daughter is hard work! I'm going to have this party and you're going to enjoy it, Ven!" she cried in anger. She smiled. "Enjoy it, Aqua's here," she chirped before she ran toward the back door.

Terra sighed and shook his head. "She's so like mom with those mood swings," he commented, "We didn't tell you because we knew you'd tell on us. So, just enjoy the gift or _I'll_ have to keep Aqua company." He chuckled as Ven's face grew red from anger.

"Fine, we'll have the party. But they better be gone by ten! …You know I get hostile without my rest," Ven threatened as he watched the party-goers flood into the house. He could already hear Rikku screeching happily from the kitchen. "I change that…nine!" he cried in agony.

Terra waved his hand at him carelessly. "Just enjoy yourself, Ven. This is a once in a life time opportunity," he stated as he walked away from the blonde boy.

Ven sighed. He looked at what he was wearing. He wished Yuna and Terra had let him in on the secret; he was already dressed in his cowboy pajamas. He was covered from head to toe in cowboy hats and boots with spurs; his pajamas had booties at the end. Naminé insisted they would keep his feet warm at night. Ven blushed and quickly ran up the stairs to change. He couldn't let Aqua see him looking like a child. Even though he disliked the idea of a party while the parents were away, he did like the idea of getting to spend time with his blue-haired femme fatale.

* * *

><p>Yuna ushered the party into the living room area. She pushed the button on the radio and turned up the volume. The crowd cheered and people began to dance. Rikku quickly joined her best friend and grinned excitedly. "I can't believe we're actually doing this, Yunie!" she cried happily, "This is gonna be the party of the year!"<p>

"I know!" Yuna exclaimed proudly, "I'm going to be so popular after this! I only wish Tidus could be here!"

Rikku feigned a frown. "Don't worry, Yunie! He'll be back soon, but until then that guy over there is checking you out. Why don't you go dance with him?" Rikku suggested happily before she pushed Yuna in his direction. Before Yuna could refuse she was swept away onto the makeshift dance floor.

Rikku grinned triumphantly. "That'll ensure Yuna has some fun at her own party," she said to herself. She scanned the room for any sign of Terra; she thought she deserved to have some fun too. She spotted Terra off in the corner watching everyone dance. "Perfect," she giggled excitedly.

She shoved through the crowd and bumped into an acquaintance, Serah Farron. "Hey!" Rikku greeted excitedly. She kept one eye on Terra. "Glad you could come, what are you up to?" she asked politely. A small chat couldn't hurt.

"I was going to go ask Terra if he wanted to dance," Serah answered with a smile, "He looks cute tonight." She stole a glance at Terra; he was perfectly stoic.

Rikku frowned. Her face slowly began to redden "Back off!" she cried angrily. Steam practically shot out of her ears. She pushed the girl and quickly hurried to where Terra was standing. Serah didn't dare follow her. Rikku grinned widely showing all of her teeth. "Terraaa!" she chirped happily.

Terra gave her an annoyed look. "I was wondering when you'd come over to talk," he replied, "Let's just get this over with. You want to dance?"

Rikku's heart did a flip, a cartwheel, a handstand, and even a summersault. She couldn't believe he asked her to dance. Hearts were practically shining in her eyes. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Rikku squealed excitedly, "YES!" She grabbed Terra's arm and pulled him onto the dance floor. She couldn't wait to show him her moves. Rikku was a great dancer.

Terra watched as Rikku began to lose herself to the music. He inwardly smiled at her. Her dance moves were as eccentric as her personality. Still, they had a certain charm. He sighed, "Eh, why not?" He watched her for a bit before he joined in mirroring her movements perfectly. He was actually having fun...with Rikku. He'd never live this down.

Ven finally entered the living room. He had changed into something that he thought was 'party' appropriate. He was wearing a red t-shirt and a pair of his baggiest jeans. He was just happy his shirt was long else someone might see his Mickey Mouse underwear. He scanned the crowd and was surprised to not see Aqua anywhere. He frowned. Had Yuna lied to him just so he would go with the party? That wasn't like Yuna, but then again it wasn't like Yuna to throw a party while their parents were away either.

He sighed and left the living room. He moped all the way to the kitchen; Ven thought a snack might cheer him up. He sighed again as he entered and then he gasped. Ven was surprised to see Aqua seated at the dining table drinking a cup of juice. "A-Aqua!" he gasped.

She turned and smiled at him. "Hey, Ven," she greeted casually, "I'm not much for parties, but I thought it would be rude not to come. You guys are my friends, after all."

"You didn't have to come if you didn't want to," Ven answered as he took a seat next to her, "Besides, you aren't even 'partying'." He made air quotes with his fingers. "If yer gonna be here I demand you dance!" he exclaimed.

Aqua chuckled lightly. "Well, I guess if you demand it," she played along. She stood up and walked over to the trash can. She tossed in her empty, paper cup and looked at Ven. "Let's go dance then, you did want to dance with me, right? Or do you demand I find someone else?" she asked with a small laugh.

Ven shook his head. "No, you can dance with me. I've got some awesome moves," Ven said happily. He did the moonwalk toward the entrance of the kitchen. He extended his hand toward her. "Let's go," he said excitedly.

Aqua smiled at him. She paused and sniffed the air. "Ven, you smell really sweet," she murmured in confusion.

Ven grinned. "I put some cologne on," he replied. He grabbed her hand before Aqua could say anymore.

Ven led Aqua to the living room where everyone was still dancing and mingling. He breathed a sigh of relief; he was glad the party wasn't over. Ven offered Aqua his hand. She gladly accepted it. Ven pulled her onto the dance floor. The music suddenly changed to something more upbeat. Ven grinned; he could do this without severely embarrassing himself. He grabbed both of Aqua's hands and began to sway back and forth with her. She smiled. Ven's dance moves were very simplistic.

Rikku danced by with Terra at her heels. He was practically on top of her as she shook her hips from side to side. "What kinda dancing is that, Venny? You gotta put your groove into it!" Rikku cheered as she bumped Ven with her hip. She laughed and then turned her attention back to Terra.

Ven watched with curious eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen them so close," Ven commented completely dumbfounded by what he just saw.

"Me neither," Aqua replied with a bit of hidden sadness, "But don't mind them, let's keep dancing." Ven nodded; he couldn't be happier. He twirled Aqua and pulled her close to him, which was strange to him because she was taller. "You're light on your feet, Ven," she complimented as she pulled away from him.

The music changed again; this time a slow song played. Someone in the crowd screamed, "Oh my gosh! I love this song!"

Another cried, "I hate this song, jackass!"

Ven nervously choked down his saliva. He didn't know if he was emotionally ready for this. Ven felt faint. He was only fifteen; he wasn't supposed to slow dance with a seventeen year old. This defied all social laws, yet he was thankful.

Ven looked around him and saw that everyone was already coupled up and dancing. He spotted Yuna in the arms of some strange man. Still, she looked happy enough. He knew who she would rather be dancing with. He glanced over at Rikku and Terra. Rikku gave him a thumbs up and winked before she went back to enjoying the only possible time she would ever be in Terra's arms. Ven took in a deep breath and cleared his throat.

Aqua smiled at him. She placed her arms on his shoulders and Ven placed his arms lightly around her waist. Being this close to her made his head dizzy. What was even more dizzying was the fact that Ven was so short he had to look up to see her face. Ven blushed; his height allowed him to stare straight into her chest. It was then he noticed how nicely her blue dress complimented her creamy skin. He awkwardly swallowed his saliva and politely looked away.

"Ven?" Aqua called quietly; she was careful not to disturb the other dancers. Ven looked up. "I'm sorry if this is a bit awkward for you," she whispered her apology.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Ven replied casually, "I just hope you're havin' a good time."

Suddenly the front door burst open. Ven, Terra, and Yuna froze. "I'm really sorry yuh twisted yer ankle, darlin'," Sora cooed as he carried Kairi further into the house. The happy couple passed by the living room. Everyone was frozen. Sora walked back in reverse and looked into the living room. Sora and Kairi stared at all the teenagers in their living room with wide eyes. "What's goin' on?" Sora cautiously asked.

Roxas and Naminé entered the house and frowned. Roxas growled. He spotted Rikku standing near a window looking like she was trying to escape. "You!" he growled, "I knew yuh were evil! Yer Riku in disguise aren't yuh! I'll kill yuh fer corruptin' these children!"

Rikku screamed, "Yuna!" She pushed through the crowd as Roxas summoned the oblivion.

"Yuh won't get away this time!" Roxas growled as he began to chase her down the hallway.

Yuna sighed. She waved goodbye to her dance partner before she chased after the two blondes. "Uncle Roxas! Leave Rikku alone! She's not a man!" she cried.

Sora sighed and shook his head. "I've never been so disappointed," he stated solemnly. He closed his eyes and pointed toward the door. "Get out!" he cried angrily. Hurriedly, the large amount of teenagers quickly shuffled out of the Strife home, including Aqua who mumbled her apologies on the way out.

Ven and Terra were left standing in the living room with shameful looks on their faces. Naminé put her hands on her hips. "Ven, we need to talk," she ordered, "Go up to your room and put your pajamas back on! Your feet are going to get cold!"

"Yes, mom," Ven whispered as he walked toward the three parents.

Naminé caught a whiff of him as he walked by. "Is that my perfume?" she asked in confusion.

"I thought it was cologne!" Ven cried as his face reddened. He growled in frustration before he turned and ran toward the stairs.

Sora frowned at his son. "Terra, you too. Once Yuna saves er' friend we're all gonna have a talk, but first I've gotta get some ice fer yer mother's poor ankle. The one night we go out tuh have some fun yuh hooligans throw a party an' yer mother gets hurt," Sora grumbled. He kissed Kairi's forehead and walked toward the kitchen.

Terra sighed and began his walk of shame toward the stairs. Naminé was still staring at him with fierce eyes. He sighed again and rubbed the back of his brown hair. "If it's any consolation, we don't plan on doing that again," he stated apologetically.

"Yeah, that doesn't matter. The point is you did it tonight," Naminé explained as she followed Terra up the stairs, "We trusted you guys and you let us down. And it smelt like Ven poured the entire bottle of my perfume all over himself so now I'm disappointed and without perfume." Naminé frowned. "That was my favorite one too…"


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: All right, this chapter we introduce a new character. Initially, I was going to do something else with this chapter but I decided to go ahead and get this one out of the way. This way the next chapter can be even more interesting. And as I stated before, you got something you want to see go ahead and tell me. Enjoy the chapter and please leave me a review to tell me what you thought!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_New Kid_

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><p>"Mom! Can I please stop now! I've got school in an hour!" Ven whined as he continued to scrub the base of the toilet with a toothbrush. Naminé, who was standing in the bathroom doorway, shook her head. "Oh c'mon!" Ven groaned in agony, "This is cruel an' unusual! Yuna and Terra didn't have this severe of a punishment!"<p>

Naminé shrugged. "They didn't dump a whole bottle of perfume on themselves either," she grumbled, "Besides, they're grounded for weeks. Now that you've cleaned the whole bathroom with a toothbrush you're off the hook. Should be thankful."

Ven sighed. "Maybe. But at least they don't have tuh go to school smellin' like bleach!" he exclaimed, "No one's going to come near me!"

She smirked and stifled a giggle. "I'm sorry, honey. You do the crime, you do the time," she joked, "But looks like you're done here…so go ahead and get ready for school."

"Thank you!" Ven cried as he jumped to his feet. He placed the toothbrush on the edge of the sink and hurried toward the door. He pushed past Naminé and ran down the hallway to where his bedroom was located.

Naminé sighed and shook her head. "What am I going to do with you, Ven?" she quietly asked herself as she watched her blonde son disappear into his room. She looked back into the bathroom; it was sparkling. She smiled and inhaled the scent of cleanliness. She glanced at the toothbrush Ven used and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that Terra's?" she mumbled in surprise.

* * *

><p>"Bye, mom!" Ven called as he hurried out the front door. Terra, Yuna, and Aqua were already standing outside waiting for him.<p>

"What took you so long?" Terra asked with a slight frown, "I have to get to school early today."

The group began walking. "I had to clean a bathroom with a toothbrush!" Ven exclaimed in anger, "Besides, what are you in such a hurry to get to?" Terra shrugged and ignored Ven's question. Ven rolled his eyes. It was so like Terra to exclude him from his 'happenings'.

"Well, I know what _I'm _in a hurry to get to!" Yuna exclaimed excitedly, "Today a new student is enrolling at our high school and I get to show him around! This will look excellent on my resume!"

Aqua smirked. "You already know it's a him?" she asked while holding back her chuckles, "I have a feeling you've looked into this person a bit too much."

Yuna insistently shook her head. "Just because I know his height, weight, blood type, and personal likes and dislikes does not mean I've looked into him too much!" she cried.

Terra snickered, "At this rate, Tidus is going to be jealous of this kid."

Yuna blushed and scrunched up her nose. She raised the purple folder that was in her hand and hit the back of Terra's head. "Shut up!" she shouted in embarrassment.

"So, what's his name?" Ven dared to ask. He couldn't help but be a little curious. They're high school hardly got any new students. No one moved to the islands and no one left the islands. The population was pretty stationary, even the births and deaths seemed to align.

Yuna smiled. At least, someone seemed to understand her plight. "His name is Vanitas," she replied calmly, "Well, we're here. I'll see you guys later. If Rikku comes looking for me just tell her I'll see her lunch!" She happily waved goodbye before she ran toward the main office.

"Whatever," Terra grumbled as he walked toward his locker.

Ven glanced at Aqua. He watched as she watched Terra walk away. He inwardly frowned. _'Why does she even like him? Doesn't she know he's not interested in dating a girl right now? Man, I wish she would see me.I'm not a kid anymore...I could please her just a well,' _he thought. "Aqua?" he called in an attempt to get her attention.

"Yes, Ven?" she asked as she turned to look at him. She gave him a smile.

He sighed, "I'll see ya around, I guess." Before Aqua could say anymore an unfamiliar black haired boy burst through the door. He shoved past Ven knocking him to the ground. Ven growled angrily. "Hey!" he cried.

The boy turned back to look at him. "Pfft, just a small fry," he said with a smirk, "What're you a freshman? Stay outta my way next time." With that, he turned down the hallway and walked away.

Ven jumped to his feet and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "What a jerk," he grumbled.

"Just ignore him, Ven. You probably won't see him again anyway," Aqua advised as they began to walk toward their lockers.

Unfortunately, Ven did see the strange boy more than he expected during the day. It turned out that he was the new kid Yuna had harped about on the way to school. Vanitas turned out to be a real jerk. Twice, Vanitas slammed Ven's locker shut while he was still using it. Once, Vanitas tripped Ven while he was walking down the hall. At lunch, Vanitas 'accidentally' knocked Ven's lunch tray from his hands. And as if all that wasn't bad enough, Vanitas was in Ven's history class throwing paper balls at the back of his head.

'_I'm going to comfort this guy before it gets any worse. He can't keep torturing me like this!' _Ven mentally grumbled. The bell to release class rang. Ven quickly stuffed his belongings into his backpack and turned his attention to Vanitas. He wasn't surprised to see the boy's golden eyes already staring at him. "What's your problem?" Ven dared to ask.

Vanitas shrugged. "Just figured a twerp like you could use some attention. Doesn't seem like you get it from anywhere else," he laughed as he began to walk toward the classroom door. Ven quickly followed after him. "Besides, you're such a pipsqueak, how could I resist?"

"I'm not a pipsqueak! I'm fifteen!" Ven cried indignantly.

"And I'm sixteen. You're a pipsqueak to me," Vanitas laughed, "I'm done talking to you. Go to your last period class. But don't worry, I'll be around after school to make sure you don't go home without me giving you something to remember me by." He chuckled as he walked away.

Ven growled and clenched his fists. He couldn't believe this. He turned around to walk away, but ended up bumping into Terra instead. "Hey…Ven?" he murmured quizzically, "Shouldn't walk the halls with your head down. It's pretty dangerous out here."

"Whatever, Terra. I'm not in the mood!" Ven cried, "Just leave me alone!" He shoved past Terra and continued walking.

"Whoa, whoa, what's wrong?" Terra asked. He grabbed Ven's shoulder and forced him to turn around. "I haven't seen you this upset since Uncle Roxas and my dad had the birds and bees talk with you," he commented. He shuddered at the memories of Ven running down the hallways screaming. Ven didn't take the talk too well.

"How could I not be upset...they said _it _would fall off!" Ven exclaimed. He continued before Terra could interject, "It's that new kid. He keeps messing with me," Ven grumbled, "But it's nothing you should concern yourself with. Why should you care anyway? I bet you'd help him if you could!" Ven jerked away from Terra's grasp and ran away before Terra could say anymore.

"The new kid, eh? Hmm…" Terra mumbled under his breath. It looked like he had some investigating to do.

* * *

><p>Rikku happily hummed. She was still living the night of dancing and fun she had with Terra. So what if their strange uncle ended up giving her a bruise on her back the size of the Twilight Town clock tower? It was worth it. "Today's so great!" she cheered excitedly. She thrust her hand into the air then winced from the use of her back muscles.<p>

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Today is over, Rikku. And you haven't even spoken with my brother. All you've done is admire him from afar like usual. Nothing has changed," she commented as she watched Rikku shuffle through the contents of her locker.

"I don't care, I still have the memories. He'll come to me when he's ready," Rikku sighed dreamily, "I'll bet he's headed this way now to beg me to be his girlfriend!"

Yuna peered past Rikku's locker door. Her eyes widened. "Wow, he is headed this way!" she exclaimed in shock. She couldn't believe this.

Rikku squealed excitedly and slammed her locker shut. "I knew you loved me!" she cried as she extended her arms toward the quickly moving form of Terra. He quickly moved past her and stared at Yuna.

"W-What?" Yuna stammered in confusion. She heard Rikku let out a long whine of defeat.

"Tell me about that Vanitas kid," Terra quickly demanded.

Yuna crossed her arms. "No way! I'm not going to let you make fun of me again!" she replied angrily, "Go find out about him yourself like everyone else."

Terra shook his head. "No, Yuna. You don't understand. That guy has been messing with Ven all day. I need to know about him so I can get him to leave Ven alone," Terra explained.

Yuna smiled. Rikku sighed dreamily and began to ramble on about how brave and sweet Terra was. The siblings ignored her. "Well, he's a junior. He's got black hair and gold eyes. His blood type is B. He's just as tall as Ven. He has a temper and doesn't tolerate useless people," Yuna began to explain.

"I think that's all I need to know. Where do you think he would be right now? I need to set him straight," Terra asked as he cracked his knuckles. He was already preparing for a possible fight. Just because he liked to mess with Ven didn't mean someone else was allowed to.

"Vanitas!"

Yuna pointed past Terra. "I found him," she muttered in disbelief. Terra turned around and spotted Vanitas emptying Ven's backpack all over the floor. Terra growled and hurried over. "Geez, maybe I should go get the principal," Yuna thought out loud.

"Hurry! Go, Yunie! I'll make sure it doesn't get out of hand!" Rikku urged as he pushed Yuna away. There was no way she was going to miss out on Terra's actions of bravery and manliness. "Oh, he's so hot!" she cried excitedly. There were practically hearts in her green eyes.

"What's going on?" Aqua asked as she approached Rikku.

"That Vanitas guy was picking on Ven so Terra went to set him straight, see?" Rikku explained as she pointed to Terra who was circling Vanitas while Ven quickly collected his belongings. Aqua frowned; she wasn't a believer in violent confrontations.

Ven sighed and zipped up his backpack. "Terra, you don't have to. It's whatever," Ven muttered as he began to walk away.

"No, it's not!" Terra's voice thundered down the halls. Vanitas smirked; he loved getting a rise out of people. "Look, Vanitas. Stop picking on Ven, all right? If I ever catch you bullying Ven again, you're going to have to answer to me," Terra swore angrily.

Vanitas scoffed. "As if that scares me, you're just as worthless as he is," he laughed.

Terra growled and snatched Vanita's collar. "What was that?" he seethed.

"That's enough!" All three boys turned to look at the principal and Yuna who were coming down the hall quickly. "Terra, release him!" the principal ordered. Terra released Vanita's collar and backed away.

"Did you see that? He attacked me!" Vanitas exclaimed, "He should be expelled!"

"That's enough, Vanitas. Yuna already explained the situation to me. You and Ven will come to my office immediately," the principal ordered. Ven groaned; this is not how he wanted to spend his afternoon.

Yuna watched as the principal escorted the two boys toward his office. She frowned. "I didn't realize what a handful that guy was," she muttered under her breath, "At least, he'll get what he deserves now. He won't be able to mess with Ven anymore." Terra shrugged. "Don't act like you didn't care!" she exclaimed, "We all saw how you protected Ven!"

"Don't know what you're talking about. We should be getting home anyway," Terra suggested as he walked toward the door.

"We're not going to wait for Ven?" Yuna asked.

"Why?" Terra asked as he continued to feign carelessness, "I'm sure they'll call Uncle Roxas and Aunt Naminé anyway."

"Oh," Yuna mumbled. Yuna, Terra, and Rikku hurried out the door but Aqua lingered. She stared down the hallway with a worried expression and frowned.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: All right, new chapter! I feel the creative juices flowing in my brain. It's really nice even if it sounds disgusting. Obviously, this chapter is going to have a couple additional chapters to it. I'd feel sad if I just left it at this.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Spring Fling Dates_

* * *

><p>Rikku excitedly snatched the flier from the wall. She squealed as she read it out loud, "The spring fling dance is next Saturday!" Yuna covered her ears as Rikku began to cheer and jump around in the hallway. She couldn't contain her excitement. This year she was going to be Terra's date. There was no doubt about it. Every other year some girl had always asked Terra first and since he didn't care, he always said yes. This year she was going to be that girl he carelessly went to the dance with, wait that didn't come out right.<p>

Yuna smirked. "Gonna ask my brother, eh?" Yuna chuckled as she uncovered her ears. She placed a hand on Rikku's shoulder. "I have to warn you, though you probably already know this. Girls always ask Terra within the first day. You better find him," Yuna warned, "Report back to me after you ask him."

Rikku gave Yuna a playful salute. She turned to walk away, but then she turned back. "Is Tidus back yet?" she suddenly asked.

The brunette sighed and shook her head. "I got a letter from him this morning. Turns out he's going to be gone another week," she replied with a slight frown.

"It's okay, Yunie. He'll be okay. And besides, he'll probably be back before the dance so you can totally ask him!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Maybe we could double date! Ooh, that'd be so exciting!" Rikku continued chattering on about what an exciting evening they could have as Yuna looked past her. She spotted Terra and Aqua talking by the lockers.

"Rikku," she cautiously stated as she pointed their direction. Rikku turned around and watched the scene in horror.

Terra nodded and gave Aqua a slight smile. Aqua continued speaking; she looked as though she was making some kind of bargain with Terra. He nodded again and tapped his chin. They both laughed and Aqua waved goodbye. She walked away. "Ah!" Rikku shrieked. She hurried over to Terra and pushed him against the lockers.

"What the!" Terra exclaimed before he pushed her off of him, "What is the matter with you?"

"What were you talking with Aqua about?" Rikku desperately asked. Her eyes were so big they practically took over her forehead as she stared at him with a level of desperation not known to man before now. There were practically tears in her eyes.

Terra fixed his clothes. "She was just asking about the dance," Terra explained nonchalantly, "We decided to go together." The words felt like a knife to the heart for Rikku. She fell to the ground and began to whimper in defeat.

Yuna frowned at her brother. "How could you, Terra?" she said distastefully, "You know Ven probably wanted to ask Aqua to the dance. He's going to be crushed when he finds out about this."

Terra shrugged. "I wasn't thinking. She practically begged me…she only asked to get Zack Fair off of her case. We're just going to go to the dance and have a nice time. It means nothing," he explained, "I figured I could do her a favor. Besides, if she went with Ven it wouldn't have worked."

She sighed. "Fine, still. He's not going to take it well," she muttered.

"Who's not gonna take what well?" Ven asked.

Yuna jumped and stumbled away from Ven who was standing behind her. She put her hand on her heart as she breathed deeply. "Geez, Ven! Warn someone next time!" she exclaimed. Ven tilted his head in confusion. "Anyway…might as well just get this over with. Ven, Terra and Aqua are going to the spring fling together. You can join Rikku on the floor now, but I'm going to head to class," she explained quickly before she fled the scene.

Ven frowned. "I was going to ask her," he murmured morosely. He sunk to the floor and held his head in his hands. "I was going to ask her," he continued to repeat as he began to sink into his depression.

Terra looked at the two. Rikku was curled into a ball with tears in her eyes and Ven practically had a storm cloud over his head. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…this is too much for me. I'll see you guys around," he muttered awkwardly before he walked away.

* * *

><p>Eventually the school day ended. Ven closed the door to his locker and nearly screamed at the sight of Rikku behind it. "W-Wha?" he exclaimed as he stumbled backward.<p>

Rikku smiled and waved to him. "I have a proposition for you. What do you say we go to the dance together? We can make Aqua and Terra UBER jealous!" Rikku exclaimed with a strange excitement. It wasn't her usual upbeat perkiness. No, this time she was out for revenge. "What do you say?" Rikku urged with a playful grin.

"I-I don't know…how is that going to make Aqua and Terra jealous?" Ven asked with a small frown. He knew Aqua liked Terra so she probably wouldn't even notice him with Rikku.

"Well, I'm going to make Terra jealous by dancing with you. He may not like me…but I know for a fact he liked dancing with me. As for Aqua, you wrote her that sweet, romantic poem for Valentine's Day. Maybe something like that could work for you?" Rikku suggested as the evil wheels turned in her head.

Ven shrugged. He knew he had nothing to lose. Besides, if he didn't go with Rikku he was sure no one else was going to want to ask him. "Well, all right. We can give this a shot," Ven agreed.

Rikku squealed, "I can't wait!" She cleared her throat and stuck out her hand. "Shake it and the deal is sealed," she politely ordered. Ven took her hand and gave it a good shake. Rikku grinned excitedly. "Now, you have to ask me out in front of them, okay? Make it look real!" she said with a gleam in her eyes. She quickly grabbed Ven's arm and began to drag him down the hallway.

She spotted Aqua and Terra casually talking. She shoved Ven in front of her and forced him down on one knee. "Ven!" she exclaimed with fake surprise.

Ven cleared his throat and looked at Rikku. Luckily, he'd taken a theatre class his freshman year. He was prepared for this. He saw Aqua and Terra looking at them out the corner of his eye. "I know you really like Terra, but I thought maybe you might want to go to the dance with me. I'm no Terra, but I'm fun and interesting. I'll make sure you have the time of your life. So, would you please consider it?" Ven asked with a pleading look.

'_Wow he's good,' _Rikku thought as she stared down into his blue eyes. She smiled. "Well…I guess we could give it a try," she agreed. Ven stood up and smiled at her.

"Let me walk you home," he suggested politely.

How Rikku wished Terra would say those words to her. "Okay," she chirped as they began to walk down the hall.

"That was weird," Aqua commented as she watched them disappear around the corner. She raised an eyebrow. She couldn't help but think something was off.

Terra shrugged. "I don't really care. I mean, they can go together if they want," he replied with crossed arms.

Aqua forced a smile. "You sure you wouldn't rather go with Rikku? I saw the way you danced at the party and –."

Terra cut her off. "I don't like Rikku like that. She's a nice girl, but she's not my type. Besides, you asked me first. I'd never run out on you like that," he answered sincerely, "We've been friends for years. I owe it to you to be loyal."

"You owe it to me?" Aqua questioned, "You don't owe me anything. It was just a favor…that was all."

He smirked at her. "Chill, Aqua. I was just joking. Come on, let me walk you home. We can talk more about this dance. I know how you girls like to color coordinate," he laughed as he put his arm around her shoulder. Aqua hid her blush.

* * *

><p>"Bye!" Yuna called as she walked out of the gym where her dance class was held after school. She rolled her shoulders and then slung her gym bag over her shoulder. She sighed contently as she walked down the empty halls. She could see that the sun was beginning to set outside of the windows. This was the way she liked it. She stretched her arms and headed toward her locker. She pulled out her backpack and put it on her back.<p>

"Time to go home," she thought out loud as she headed toward the doors. She pushed through them and looked in front of her. She was surprised to see someone standing off in the distance. She could hardly make out their appearance; the sun made their whole body look like a shadow.

Out of curiosity, she walked further toward the figure and smiled widely when she realized who it was. "Tidus!" she cried excitedly. She dropped her gym bag on the ground and ran to him. She landed perfectly in his arms. She felt like kissing him and hugging him, but instead she quickly removed herself and nervously played with her hair. "I-uh…I thought you weren't coming back for another week," she quickly said.

Tidus smiled at her. "Turns out, I played a little trick on you," he chuckled, "I wanted to surprise you by showing up for your lunch hour but the gummi ship was delayed. So, here I am. Oh, and I got these for you." Tidus pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. They were Yuna's favorite, purple irises.

She gratefully took the bouquet from him and smiled. "They're beautiful," she awed as she stared at her gift. Yuna wished she had something to give him in return, but she had nothing but a gym bag of sweaty clothing and a backpack full of unfinished homework. She walked back to where she dropped her gym bag and slung it back on her shoulder.

"Can I walk you home?" Tidus offered.

"Sure," Yuna replied hiding her joy. She couldn't believe this. She was so excited and happy all at the same time. She almost felt like jumping for joy like Rikku. "So, how was your trip?" she asked him as she tried to hide her smile.

"Ah, same old, same old," Tidus replied, "We won, of course." He grinned. "Want me to hold one of those bags?" he offered. Yuna happily handed him her gym bag. She always had to struggle walking home from dance club with the two bags; it was nice to have someone to hold one.

"I'm glad you came back victorious," she replied happily, "So, will you have to leave any time soon?" Tidus shook his head. This made Yuna happy. Perhaps she could take him to the spring fling after all. She stole a glance at him. The only problem was she didn't know how to ask him without sounding like a goofy, teenage girl.

Tidus sighed as the farm came into view. "So, have any plans for the weekend?" Tidus asked, "I believe you owe me a date."

Yuna blushed. "Yeah…that was the agreement," she replied shyly, "How does this Saturday sound?"

"Sounds great," Tidus replied with another one of his beautiful smiles. Yuna felt weak at the knees just from the sight of it. "Your parents are okay with this, right?" Tidus suddenly asked.

Yuna froze. She hadn't even asked her parents if she was allowed to go on a date with an older man. Even though they'd known Tidus for years, they had never been keen on letting her date boys older than her. She just knew Tidus was not going to be an exception. "Of course!" Yuna lied, "They're totally fine with it!"

Tidus grinned. "Well, all right. I'm kind of surprised to be honest," he admitted, "Guess your folks are full of surprises." They approached the front door of the Strife home. Yuna was almost sad to see it. "Well, I'll see you Saturday, Yuna," he began. She nodded; she didn't know why but she felt incredibly nervous. The look in Tidus's eyes made her feel uneasy, but in a good way.

"Tidus, why are you looking at me that way?" Yuna nervously asked. He put a hand on her shoulder and she felt herself freeze. He smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"See ya," he said with a wave before he began to walk away. Yuna nearly fainted at the spot.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Here's the next chapter! _

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Shopping_

* * *

><p>"Come on, Venny!" Rikku screamed as she happily pushed through the regular crowd inside the mall.<p>

Ven groaned; he hated shopping. His mother used to take him all the time when he was young and Terra would tease him. So, to stop the teasing he stopped the shopping. It wasn't fun for him anymore. Especially now, since he was being pulled through crowds of people.

"We're here!" Rikku cried excitedly. She shoved Ven into the store.

Ven looked around. He'd never seen a store so girly. He felt strange just being inside of it. "Welcome to Girl Gab, can I help you?" came a grumpy voice. Ven looked toward the source and was surprised to see Vanitas behind the makeup counter. Ven's eyes nearly fell out of his head. Vanitas glared at him through his golden eyes, but Ven hardly saw him as a threat in his pink apron and matching flower hat.

Rikku grinned. "Hiii Vanny!" she squealed excitedly as she hurried over to the counter, "Me and my date need to accessorize for the dance that's coming up!" She quickly grabbed Ven and pushed him into a chair.

"Vanny? W-Wait, how long have you been working here?" Ven questioned as he stared at Vanitas in disbelief. He actually seemed to be happy to see Rikku.

Vanitas's slight smile turned into a frown as he stared at Ven. "A week or so. Rikku comes in here often and buys stuff from me," he explained, "We don't talk at school. And you're to tell no one I work here."

"Got it," Ven agreed, "But why the makeup counter?"

Vanitas groaned and ran his fingers through his thick, black locks. "I'm filling in. I am usually a cashier," he explained through his gritted teeth.

Rikku chirped, "Anyway!" She gazed around the makeup counter. "Ooh, what is paopu kiss?" Rikku asked as she stared at the tube of chapstick excitedly.

Vanitas sighed and cleared his throat. "Paopu kiss is a chapstick guaranteed to enhance your love life. Made with an extract of paopu fruit it has the same _magical _qualities," he droned, "Place it on your lips and kiss the one you love and you're destinies will be intertwined forever through eternity." He rolled his eyes and handed a tube to Rikku.

"Venny! We should get some of this!" Rikku exclaimed excitedly.

Ven rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "That would imply we had a chance of kissing our special people," he said with a slight chuckle.

Rikku rolled her eyes. "Oh, Ven. So naïve. How else do you get someone to fall in love with you but kiss them?" she said with a smile, "But you're probably right. Besides, that paopu thing is just a legend anyway." She stood up from the stool she was seated in and began to walk away. "See ya around, Vanny!"

Vanitas growled under his breath. Ven was about to follow Rikku, but turned to look at the tube of paopu kiss. "You know, I think I might buy a tube," Ven suddenly said, "Ring me up."

Vanitas chuckled, "Gladly."

"By the way, tell no one I bought this," Ven absently added.

Vanitas scoffed, "Whatever. I still don't like you."

Ven nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," he replied awkwardly.

* * *

><p>"So, how come you don't have a date for the Spring dance yet?" Kairi asked Yuna as they looked through discount dresses in a store called Dressy in the mall.<p>

Yuna shrugged. "I just haven't been asked or have asked, you know?" Yuna coyly replied. It was already Saturday and she had yet to ask her mother if she could go on her date with Tidus. Every moment she'd tried to she got nervous and chickened out.

Kairi pulled out a dress from the rack. "What do you think of this one?" Kairi asked as she twirled it in front of her daughter, "Purple looks nice on you. And it has those sparkles that'll really make you shine on the dance floor."

"That one's nice," Yuna commented. Kairi smiled and went back to flipping through the rack. Yuna took in a deep breath. It was now or never. Her mother was in a good mood; what could go wrong? "Hey, mom…" Yuna cautiously began.

Kairi paused and looked at her daughter. "I know what that phrase means," she stated with a slight smirk, "What do you want, Yuna?"

"Well, there is someone I thought about asking to the dance. But I'm not sure," Yuna explained.

"What are you unsure about?" Kairi dared to ask. She wasn't sure if she was going to like the answer.

Yuna took in another breath. "Mom, can I go out on a date with Tidus?" she blurted out quickly. She figured it was like ripping off a band aid; it was more painful if you did it slower. Kairi fell silent. "It's just that…you know I've liked him for such a long time and I think he likes me to. And I really don't want to miss out on this opportunity. And you know Tidus, he's a good guy."

"He's much too old for you," Kairi quietly commented before she turned away from her daughter.

Yuna frowned. "But mom, you've known him since he was 15. You know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me," she argued.

Kairi turned around and let out a sigh. "Look, Yuna. There are a lot of things that come with dating an older guy. I'm not sure you're ready to handle all of that. I don't want you getting ahead of yourself," she attempted to explain.

"I won't get ahead of myself, mom. I can handle this," Yuna encouraged, "Besides, it's just one date."

"One date usually leads to another, Yuna. You know that. And besides, Tidus would be insane not to want to have more than one date with you. And even if you convince me this would work, your father is not going to be happy about it ever," Kairi added with a bit of misplaced confidence, "You know he doesn't want anything distracting you from your schoolwork."

Yuna sighed and ran her fingers through her brown hair. "So, you're saying I can't go?" Yuna asked with a frown.

"I'm saying we have to talk about this with your father. If he approves, I'll approve," Kairi answered.

Yuna sighed again. She hated when her mother did this. It was like marriage prevented a woman from making decisions separate from their husbands. She wished her mother could just give her a yes or a no and let that be the end of it. She hated the indirect answer her mother was so good at giving.

"Ooh!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed. She pulled out a light pink dress from the rack. "What about this one! It'll show off your nice legs!" she squealed as she held it up to Yuna's body.

Yuna playfully rolled her eyes. "I know why you like this dress, mom. It's pink. You like anything with pink on it," she laughed as Kairi shoved the dress into Yuna's hands.

"That's because pink is cute," Kairi replied in a matter of fact tone, "You can't go wrong when it's pink!" Kairi thrust her fist into the air and struck a pose. Kairi winked and happily spun around.

Yuna covered her face and looked away. "Mom, you're way too old for this," she muttered under her breath.

"You're never too old to have fun," Kairi protested as she began to dance around the racks of clothes. She put her hands in the air and hip bumped one of the racks causing it to fall over into another rack. It was like a domino effect; all of the racks in the store began to fall onto each other until they reached the dressing rooms trapping girls inside the small rooms. Kairi paused. "Oops," she muttered.

A store attendant approached Kairi and shook her head. "Ma'am, you know you have to leave, right?" she asked as she snatched the pink dress away from Kairi.

"Yeah…sorry," Kairi squeaked. She grabbed Yuna's wrist and hurried out of the store before Yuna could utter any apologies. In the process of running away, Kairi ran into Terra and ended up knocking him to the ground.

Terra groaned and sat up. He looked to his right and saw Yuna sprawled out on the floor. He looked to his left and saw his mother with her face planted on the floor and her butt in the air. Terra grimaced and looked away. "This is why I don't come to the mall…ever," he huffed as he stood up, "I'll see you guys at home."

Kairi lifted her face from the ground. "You join in this familial humiliation now or you're grounded!" she cried causing even more people to gather around the scene.

Terra ran his fingers through his hair. "Ack! Mom!" he cried in frustration, "If you're gonna make me stick around can you at least lower your butt! I mean, geez!"

Yuna lifted herself from the floor and rubbed her back. "It's too late, Terra. She nearly destroyed a store. We're going to be made fun of for months," she lamented sadly.

"You bet you are!" came a voice from the crowd.

Terra and Yuna looked toward the source and saw Vanitas smirking at them. "Really now? At least we aren't the ones wearing a pink apron and a matching hat with a flower on it," Yuna argued with a smirk of her own, "I didn't know you were so dainty, Vanitas."

Vanitas growled, "This isn't over! I hate this place!" He huffed and quickly ran toward the exit of the mall.

Ven and Rikku peered through the crowd. "What's goin' on?" Rikku asked curiously.

Ven spotted Kairi on the ground with her butt in the air. "Oh, Aunt Kairi must've destroyed another store again doin' a dance that's too young fer her. Hm, at least her underwear aren't showing this time," Ven commented, "It's best we leave, though."

"Why?" Rikku asked with a straight face.

"She's going to pull us into her humiliation," Ven attempted to explain as he pushed Rikku back through the crowd.

"Ventus Cloud Strife! You get back ere' right now!" Kairi screamed.

Ven whined like a hurt animal. "Why can't you just get off the floor! It's not that hard!" he complained as he hurried back to where Kairi was still lying.

Kairi shook her head. "Sora!" she began to wail, "I need Sora! WAAAAH!" Yuna quickly dialed her father's number as Terra attempted to shoo people away from the scene. Unfortunately, no one was leaving.

* * *

><p>Sora jerked his head up from the newspaper he was reading. "What's wrong?" Roxas asked as he stared at his brother, "Yer gonna hurt yer neck like that."<p>

Sora shook his head. "No...no I feel somethin' strange. I feel like Kairi just embarrassed herself in public again," he announced as his eyes shifted around the room, "Maybe I should've taken Yuna dress shopping instead."

Roxas laughed and shook his head. "There's no way Kairi ended up destroying another store!" he cried in disbelief, "Yer jus' paranoid, man."

Sora felt his pocket vibrate. He pulled out his cellphone and saw that it was Yuna calling him. He quickly answered, "What's up, Yuna? Mom did what? She did not do that again! Seriously? She's wailing my name in the middle of the mall? They're gonna arrest er' fer public indecency? Shit. I'll be there soon j-jus' get yer mom to lower er' ass! Yeah, love ya too." Sora hung up the phone. "I-I gotta go," Sora muttered in embarrassment.

Roxas sighed as he watched Sora quickly run out of the kitchen. "I'm glad my woman doesn't do embarrassin' shit like that," he whispered to himself thankfully. He felt his own pocket vibrate. He pulled his cellphone out and saw that it was said woman calling him. He answered, "Need somethin', Nam? What? What do you mean you attacked the Sandwich King guy? C'mon, Nam! He's jus' a man in a suit there's no way he could threaten yer life through that costume! He doesn't even have a mouth! Nam, Nam, stop! No, d-dun' squirt the ketchup bottles! No, you cannot throw children at him! Ah, Nam!" Roxas hung up the phone and jumped to his feet. "Ahh! Fuck!" he cried as he ran out of the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: New chapter! The next chapter will have a bit of a surprise in it.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Midnight Calls_

* * *

><p>Yuna nervously finished pressing the buttons on her cellphone and sent the text. It was the text that made her heart break a little. It was the text that said she could not see Tidus tonight and possibly any other night. She regretted it, but she knew there was no way she could sneak out. Yuna sighed and fell against her bed. "This sucks," she whined as she stared at her ceiling. Her phone vibrated.<p>

She inhaled sharply. Surely, that wasn't Tidus's response already. She rolled over and picked up her phone. She clicked on her messages and saw that it was Tidus. **'I'm sorry to hear that. How about I call ya tonight sometime? I just want to talk to you.' **Yuna grinned cheekily. He wanted to talk to her? She was so excited.

She eagerly replied**, 'I would love to talk to you. Call me after midnight.' **

A minute later he responded with**, 'Can't wait.' **Yuna squealed like a school girl. She punched her fist into the air excitedly.

"What are you so excited about?"

Yuna shrieked and rolled off of her bed. She lifted her head and looked toward the door and saw Terra smirking at her. "What do you want?" she demanded with a slight frown, "You can't just barge into my room, Terra!"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I was going to ask for the math homework when I saw you…doing whatever that was. I swear, you're gonna be like mom when you're older," Terra teased.

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did it. It's on my desk," she grumbled as she climbed back onto her bed.

Terra muttered his thanks as he walked over to her desk. Yuna watched with a bored expression as he shifted through her papers till he found the math homework. "You know you're not going to get into a good college by cheating your way through high school," she lectured in a sing song voice.

"And you're not going to get mom and dad's blessing by sneaking around with Tidus," Terra replied with a chuckle.

"Shut up!" Yuna screamed. She grabbed her pillow and hurled it at him.

Terra easily caught it and threw it back at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell as long as you won't," Terra replied with a sly smirk. He quickly exited her room.

Yuna sighed and laid back on her bed. She couldn't wait until it was midnight.

* * *

><p>"But mom! It's only nine! Why do I have to sleep now!" Ven protested as he watched Naminé tuck him into bed. He pouted and crossed his arms defiantly.<p>

Naminé chuckled and sat down on his bed. "Because Ven, you're a growing boy who needs his sleep," she replied logically, "Don't you want to be taller?"

Ven sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah, but can't I just have another hour? I'll stay in my room and in my bed. I promise!" he begged hopefully. Naminé sighed and shook her head. "Ugh! Why do you treat me like such a baby? I'm fifteen!" he cried.

"I know how old you are, Ven. I just want you to be the best you can be. One day you'll understand why I do what I do," Naminé insisted with a small smile, "Well, I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, mom," Ven grumbled. Naminé bent down and kissed Ven's forehead before she quietly left the room. Ven sighed and rolled over on his side so he was facing away from his bedroom door. "Why does she keep treating me like a child? I'm not a child," he grumbled angrily. Suddenly, his cell phone began to ring. "Gah!" Ven yelped as he quickly silenced it.

"Ven!" came his mother's voice from outside the door.

"Forgot to turn it off!" Ven cried. He looked at his caller I.D. and found he didn't recognize the number. Ven scrunched his nose. He pushed the reject button and turned away. Almost immediately, it began to ring again. He quickly seized the phone and answered it. "Who is this?" he whispered a yell.

"You're so hot. I just want to kiss you all over."

Ven squirmed uncomfortably. "Uhh…who is this?" he asked again in a nicer tone. He'd never heard such a sultry voice before; he wasn't prepared for this. He was unsure how to react.

"You know who this is, big boy. Now tell me, what're you wearing tonight?"

"My Lightning McQueen pajamas," Ven squeaked nervously.

"Ooh, so delicious! I love it when you act like a total loser."

Ven frowned. "What?" he blurted out. He wasn't a loser, was he?

"What do you mean what? You knew I was calling tonight."

"Uh, I think you have the wrong number, ma'am," Ven replied nervously, "I've never met you before or talked to you before."

He heard the woman sigh on the other end. "This isn't Zack Fair, is it?" she asked in an angry tone.

"N-No, but if you want I could –." The woman hung up the phone. Ven frowned. He put his phone on his nightstand and laid back in his bed. He let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling. "I should've said I was wearin' my cowboy ones…they're more manly," he muttered before he closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Terra finished copying Yuna's math homework. He looked at the digital clock on his desk; it read midnight. Terra sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Ugh, I'm going to be so tired tomorrow," he groaned. He sighed and stood up from his chair. He turned toward his dresser to change into his pajamas when his phone began to ring.<p>

He looked at the phone and saw it was a restricted number calling him. Terra shrugged and decided to answer it anyway. "Hello?" he greeted curiously.

"Hey, you sexy beast." Terra pulled away from the phone bewildered. "You feelin' naughty tonight?"

Terra put his ear back to the phone. "No…not really," he muttered awkwardly.

He heard the woman giggle. "Oh, I hate how you tease me."

"I'm not teasing you?" Terra replied blatantly, "Who is this anyway?"

"Zack?"

Terra stifled his laughter. "N-No, this is not Zack Fair. Looks like you got your numbers mixed up," he joked with a smirk he knew she couldn't see.

"Shit!" she cried right before she hung up.

Terra laughed and tossed his phone onto his bed. "Ah, the calls I get sometimes," he murmured happily to himself, "I bet Yuna will get a kick out of this one." Terra quietly slipped out of his room and traveled down the hall to where Yuna's was. He poked his head through the door and was surprised to see she was chattering away on the phone. Out of curiosity, he decided to listen in on his sister's conversation.

Yuna twirled her hair in her finger as she laughed at what Tidus had said on the other line. "Really? I didn't know that Blitzball players could get so angry in the game," she laughed with a smile Terra had never seen on her face before.

He sighed and shook his head. There was no way anyone was going to be able to keep her away from Tidus for long. He stepped away from her door and walked back to his room. He closed the door behind him and stared toward the ceiling. Terra didn't know why, but he felt so curious. He couldn't help but wonder.

He walked over to his dresser and changed into a white t-shirt; he chose to sleep in his boxers rather than pajama pants tonight. Terra trudged over to his bed and fell onto his pillows. He reached over and turned off his lamp and was met with darkness. "I wonder what that feels like," he murmured to himself, "to be in love."

Terra closed his eyes, but before he could fall asleep his phone began to ring. He sighed and grabbed his phone from his free pillow. "Why is Rikku calling me?" he groaned. Without a second thought, he answered it. "What is it Rikku?" he asked tiredly.

"I wanted to know why Yuna keeps rejecting my calls." Terra couldn't help but notice Rikku sounded a bit irritated.

He sighed. "Yuna's talking to Tidus," he explained, "She probably doesn't mean to ignore you, but as you probably know she really wanted to talk to him."

"Oh! I had no idea!" Rikku squealed through the other side of the phone, "That's so exciting! She should definitely ask him to the Spring Fling!"

Terra winced at the volume and pitch of her voice. It sounded even worse through the phone. "Look, Rikku…it's past midnight…could you lower your voice?" he practically begged.

Rikku giggled and whispered, "Oh, sorry. I kinda forgot. Well, that was all I wanted to know so…I guess I could let you go back to doing what you were doing."

Terra let out a sigh of relief. "All right, well I will see you at school," he thanked as he motioned to hang up the phone.

"D-Do you have to go?"

There was something about the way she sounded that tugged at Terra's heartstrings. He almost felt guilty for leaving her in such a happy rush. Terra frowned and ran his fingers through this thick, brown hair. "I guess not," he reluctantly replied.

He could practically hear her smile when she said, "Really? Want to talk?"

"Wouldn't still be on the phone if I didn't," Terra replied with a fake sarcasm.

Rikku quietly squealed. "All right! I've been wanting to talk to you forever!" she cheered happily.

Terra chuckled and shook his head. "No, you haven't," he laughed, "You're just saying that."

Rikku sighed into the phone. "It's kinda embarrassing to admit but I'm not joking. I have really wanted to talk to you," she quietly explained, "I hope you don't think badly of me for it. It's just that I think you're really cool."

"Oh," Terra murmured, "I didn't know. You're uh, you're pretty cool too."

"You're pretty oblivious, huh? But that's okay. I already knew that about you," she giggled.

Terra listened to her ramble on about random subjects until eventually she tired herself out and fell asleep on the phone. A part of him thought this was kind of cute. He hung up the phone and placed it on the pillow next to him. He checked the clock and saw it was already three in the morning yet he wasn't tired at all. He rolled onto his side and stared at the wall next to his bed. "What's wrong with me? I-I don't have time for girls," he muttered.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Finally, here's the chapter with the dance! After this, I'll probably find some other focus for the chapters. You're still welcome to throw in ideas, by the way. I'm beginning to notice some readers too, so thanks for reading!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Spring Fling_

* * *

><p>Ven nervously tugged at his tie. He'd known about the dance for a week, but he still wasn't fully prepared for it. He looked next to him and saw Rikku already smiling at him expectantly. She looked really nice. She wore a bright, orange cocktail dress that really brought out her tanned complexion. She'd styled her hair loosely with a bunch of multicolored hairclips; some things never change. Ven wore a matching long-sleeve, button down shirt with a black tie and a black pair of slacks.<p>

"Ready to go inside?" Rikku asked Ven as she watched him nervously squirm, "I'm sure everything will be fine."

He slowly nodded. "I guess, I just hope this works," he murmured quietly as Rikku pushed open the doors to the school's gymnasium. It was decorated nicely. Balloons were used as centerpieces for the tables. Multicolor lights flashed around the room creating a sort of rainbow effect off the bleachers and wooden floors. The DJ was stationed at the front of the room.

"Let's find them," Rikku whispered. She grabbed his hand and began to lead Ven through the crowds. The feminine contact made Ven nervously blush as he passed the curious eyes that stared. He heard strange whispers.

"How did he land a senior girl?"

"She's way too hot for him!"

Ven ignored them. He decided it was better not to listen; it was only going to upset him. Rikku spotted 'the targets' sitting at a table with Yuna who had decided to go dateless. Rikku hurried over to the table nearly dragging Ven in the process. "Hey guys!" she greeted excitedly. Ven simply waved.

Yuna grinned. "Aw, Ven. You look so handsome!" she exclaimed, "You really clean up nice. Doesn't he look sharp, Aqua?"

Aqua smiled and nodded. "You look great Ven," she complimented happily. Ven hid his blush. Aqua looked to Terra who seemed a little dazed. "Would you like to go dance now?" she asked.

"Uh-sure, we'll be back guys. Yuna try not to run off with any strange guys," Terra joked as he slipped his arm into Aqua's and began to walk away.

"Whatever, Terra!" Yuna called back with a small frown. She sighed and rested her head in her hands on the table. "Why did I even come?" she grumbled to herself.

Rikku frowned and placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder. "It's okay, Yunie. Just give tonight a chance. Who knows? It might turn out better than you expected," Rikku encouraged with a grin, "But as for now, I've got to go win over your brothers affections! Come on, Venny!"

Rikku and Ven hurried over to the dance floor. "Okay, let's dance," Rikku whispered as she began to step with the beat.

"I don't know if I can dance like you," Ven muttered shyly. He remembered the way Rikku danced at their secret party. There was no way he was going to be able to keep up with her if she danced like that again.

Rikku sighed and smiled. "Just feel it, Venny. Don't think just feel!" she cheered excitedly. She grabbed Ven's hands and began to help him move. Ven grinned; he had to admit this was a bit fun.

* * *

><p>Terra twirled Aqua and released her. "You look really nice tonight," he complimented. Aqua could tell his mind was elsewhere, though.<p>

Aqua frowned a bit. "Where's your mind tonight, Terra?" she asked gently as she walked closer to him. The music changed to a slow song. She placed her hands on his shoulders and his on her waist.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a little out of it," Terra explained with a slight smile, "It's nothin' to worry about, though. I just suddenly have a lot to think about."

"Like what?" Aqua asked out of curiosity, "I don't mean to pry, but I'm interested."

Terra chuckled, "Of course you are." He sighed and looked toward where Rikku and Ven were awkwardly dancing. Poor Ven's face was once again in another pair of breasts. He snickered as he watched Ven squirm; Rikku didn't seem to mind, though. "You know how I am with relationships and what not. I haven't been in one since high school started. To me, they just seem like nuisances, but I think I actually want to be with someone now," he explained.

"Then you should give it a chance. There's nothing wrong with trying, Terra," Aqua advised, "Besides, we graduate this year. Do you really want to graduate with regrets?"

He paused. He hadn't even thought about graduation. "I guess you're right, Aqua. Ah, you always know what to say," he praised with a small smirk. The song ended. "What do you say we go break up their plan, eh? I mean, you know what they're doing, right?" he asked as he pointed to Rikku and Ven who were pretending they weren't watching them. Ven nervously whistled while looking away and Rikku pretending to be cleaning something off of her dress.

Aqua smiled warmly. "Yeah, I do. I think Ven really liked dancing with me at your party," she commented as they approached the couple.

"Well, hello!" Rikku greeted with a small smile, "I didn't even know you guys were over here!" She laughed sheepishly as Terra slightly glared at her. She sighed, "You guys didn't come over here for idle chat, huh?"

Terra shook his head. "Want to dance?" he offered. He extended his hand toward her.

Rikku squealed excitedly. "A thousand times yes!" she shrieked joyously. She grabbed Terra's hand and dragged him away from Ven and Aqua.

Ven looked at Aqua. "Are you okay with this?" he dared to ask. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear her answer.

Aqua nodded. "Yeah, Terra seemed a bit out of it anyway. I'd rather dance with you," she explained with a smile, "So, will you dance with me?"

Ven felt faint. He couldn't believe Aqua had just said that. He thought he'd never hear those words come out of her mouth. "I'd love to," he replied while containing his excitement. He had to keep it cool. Aqua would never take him seriously if he started squealing like a little girl because he was touching her hand.

* * *

><p>Yuna sighed as she watched the couples dance. It seemed like everyone had someone to dance with but her. She looked toward Ven and Aqua. "They seem happy," she sighed dejectedly, "Maybe after this they'll finally get together…doubt it." She looked toward her brother and Rikku. They seemed to be having an even better time. Rikku was all over Terra doing all sorts of dance moves and weird things. "Weird," was all she could say. It was hard for her to believe her brother was enjoying that.<p>

"Hey, baby. What do you say you and me dance?"

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you be calling that girl back, Zack? I'm sure she'd like to dance with you," she grumbled. Zack shrugged and walked away.

Her phone vibrated inside of her purse. She sighed and pulled it out of the white bag. She checked her messages and saw that Tidus had texted her. "Come outside?" she asked herself. Yuna shrugged. "Anything's better than being in here," she agreed. She stood up and grabbed her bag.

She waved goodbye to Terra even though he wasn't even paying attention to her. She quietly slipped out the gym doors and made her way to the exit of the school. Yuna looked around outside. "No one's here…so why am I outside?" she asked herself, "I might as well go home."

"Well, that would ruin everything."

Yuna turned around and smiled. Tidus was standing behind her with a grin on his face. "What're you doing here?" Yuna asked in disbelief.

"I wanted to see you," Tidus answered honestly, "You didn't seem like you were going to have much fun tonight at that dance so I thought I'd bail you out."

"Bail me out?" Yuna murmured in confusion.

He nodded. "What do you say we go to the beach and talk?" he suggested. He offered his arm to her.

Yuna looked down at her dress. Kairi had snuck into the store and bought the pink dress that she loved so much for Yuna. She frowned at the pink sparkles and decided she wouldn't mind getting this dress a little sandy. "You know what, I would love too," Yuna finally replied. She slipped her arm into Tidus's and smiled at him. "Thank you for bailing me out," she added.

"It's what I'm here for," Tidus answered with a slight smirk, "After all, I'd be a bit useless if I couldn't, right?"

Yuna shook her head. "You could never be useless, Tidus," she replied honestly. She felt her cheeks heat up from her honestly. She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed for saying something so deeply rooted in her emotions.

"You're so sweet, Yuna. I think that's one of your best qualities," Tidus commented.

Yuna blushed. _'He thinks I have good qualities,' _she thought happily as they walked toward the beach.

* * *

><p>"This is the final dance tonight!"<p>

A slow song played and Ven grimaced; nearly the whole dance was filled with slow songs. He hated it. He felt the butterflies in his stomach begin to surge as he stared at Aqua. She was so beautiful and he was so dorky. "Want to dance?" Ven asked as he watched Aqua watch Terra dance with Rikku. He could tell she was a bit upset.

"Sure," Aqua finally replied. They assumed the correct positions and began to slowly sway on the dance floor.

Ven sighed; he could tell her mind was elsewhere. "You didn't ask Terra to the dance just to get Zack Fair off your case, did you?" Ven suddenly asked.

Aqua shook her head. "No, but that's what I told him because I was afraid he would say no," she replied, "And I guess I was right. I think he would've gone with Rikku had I not lied."

Ven frowned. He hated to see her so down. "You know there are other guys besides Terra," he added hopefully, "Maybe you should try giving them a chance?"

"I guess, but I don't know who I would give a chance. Zack Fair, he's too popular with the ladies. And you, you're much too young, Ven. I'll just wait till college to date," Aqua concluded with a small smile, "If only you were a couple of years older."

"Age is only a number you know," Ven suddenly said, "You might find something special in someone a little younger than you if you would just give them a chance. I know it sounds kind of cliché, but you shouldn't narrow down your options so quickly! Give us young guys a chance, we might surprise you!" The song ended. Ven ran his fingers through his hair. "I-uh, I gotta go," he mumbled nervously before he ran off.

Aqua sighed and watched as he disappeared into the crowd of teenagers. "The things you say, Ven. It's almost as if you like me sometimes," she murmured to herself.

"Hey, Aqua!" Terra called as he walked over to her, "Want me to walk you home?"

"Sure," Aqua replied with a nod.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Hello! I'm really excited to see so many reviews from you guys! I love hearing what you think about the story so thanks for taking the time to leave me those comments. I look forward to hearing from you all. _

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Just Desserts_

* * *

><p>Ven sighed from his seat on the leaning paopu fruit tree. He stared out into the horizon bored out of his mind. He remembered when he was younger and there seemed to be so much to do on this small island, but now there were no adventures to be had. He looked behind him and saw Yuna laid out on the beach sun-tanning. Terra was further up on the beach practicing his speech that was due next week.<p>

He frowned. "When did we become so boring?" he asked himself. An idea popped into his head. He smirked mischievously and hopped off the tree trunk. He hurried across the wooden bridge and hopped off into the sand. "Guys!" he cried as he ran toward Yuna and Terra.

"What, Ven?" Terra asked though he wasn't paying much attention to his younger cousin. Yuna didn't bother to say anything. Ven couldn't even tell if she was looking at him through her incredibly dark sunglasses. He decided he would speak anyway.

"This is boring! You know why it's boring? Because you two have decided to act like you're too old for fun. So I'm gonna change that!" Ven cried defiantly. He snatched the speech out of Terra's hands and then ripped Yuna's sunglasses from her face.

"Hey!" she cried in response.

"You two need to have some fun," Ven demanded, "And then I will return these stupid things to you."

Yuna sighed and sat up in the sand. "And what do you propose we do, Ven? There's not much to do on this island but lay out in the sun," Yuna commented with a slight annoyance.

"We used to have so much fun here!" Ven protested, "Come on, let's go into that cave! We can go exploring."

Terra ran his fingers through his hair. "Ven, there isn't a part of this island we haven't already seen. There is nothing to explore," he argued logically.

"Oh, shut up, let's go!" Ven exclaimed merrily. He hurried up the wooden ramp and jumped into the shallow water by the waterfall. Ven smirked and splashed some toward Terra and Yuna. Yuna grumbled as she used Terra as a human shield.

"You're gonna regret that, Ven," Terra threatened with a sly smirk of his own. He jumped into the water splashing Yuna again. Terra leapt at Ven and they began to wrestle in the water throwing it every which way. Most if it seemed to just splash Yuna; it was like she was a water magnet.

Yuna growled, "Whatever! I'll see you in the cave!" She huffed and stormed off toward the small entrance. She was gone before Terra or Ven had actually comprehended what she said.

Terra pushed Ven toward the waterfall and held him underneath the falling water. He chuckled as he watched the water soak Ven everywhere. "Let me go!" Ven cried as he attempted to spit water out at Terra's face. Unfortunately, he couldn't really aim because the water in his eyes distorted his vision.

"Fine, fine. Crybaby," Terra teased as he pulled Ven from the waterfall, "Now where did Yuna say she was going?" Ven didn't get the chance to answer before Yuna came screaming out of the cave.

"What's wrong, Yuna?" Ven asked curiously.

"There's a monster in there!" Yuna cried frightfully.

Terra crossed his arms. "There's no such thing as monsters, Yuna. What are you, five?" he teased with a sly smirk.

"Go in and see for yourselves then!" Yuna shouted angrily, "And I am not five!"

Terra waved his hand at her. "Fine, fine. Come on, Ven. Let's go have that adventure you were so desperate for. And if there is a monster maybe you can water it with your clothes," he suggested with a small chuckle. Ven rolled his eyes.

Terra hopped onto the ground and then helped up Ven whose clothes were weighing him down. The two entered the cave with Yuna close behind them. Even though she didn't like the monster, she wanted to be there to see the looks on their faces when they realized she was right. She would smirk happily and then run away for her life. She thought it was a good plan.

"So where's this monster?" Terra dared to ask. He still couldn't believe he was entertaining his sister's lunacy. She was becoming more like their mother with each passing day. He looked around the dark cave and saw nothing but stones and rocks.

"Over there," Yuna instructed as she pushed Terra and Ven further into the cave. It was so dark it was hard for them to see where they were going.

All of a sudden, they heard screaming and growling coming from the backside of the cave. Ven screamed and attempted to run but Yuna held him there. "What the!" Terra cried as he stumbled backward.

"I told you!" Yuna screamed before she turned and ran for the exit.

The screaming and growling turned into giggles. Terra saw a flashlight shoot out from behind a rock. Rikku's head popped up; she smiled. "Got you!" she giggled happily. Yuna ran back down the path and joined in Rikku's laughter.

Terra frowned. "Should've known something like this was going to happen. I thought it was odd Rikku hadn't popped up yet," he grumbled to himself, "Anyway, was that enough fun for you Ven? Because I think I'm done for the day."

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a grump, Terra!" Rikku cried. She happily leapt from the rock and onto him. She grabbed him by his shirt collar. "It's a beautiful day outside! There's no need to waste it practicing your homework!"

"How do you know what I was doing?" Terra asked skeptically.

Rikku feigned a cough and looked away. "I-uh, I wasn't watching you guys or anything. Haha, I'm not THAT creepy. What kind of person do you think I am? I'm not…a person that watches other people from afar like a stalker…no, no I'm not," she mumbled quietly.

Terra rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he huffed, "Ven, give me my speech back."

"Fine," Ven sighed. He reached into his back pocket and felt the wet paper squish under his fingertips. Ven's eyes widened. "Uh…Terra," he muttered fearfully.

"What?" Terra growled. He turned around and saw Ven hold out a lump of paper toward him. He snatched Rikku's flashlight and shined it on Ven's hand. "My speech!" he shrieked like a girl, "What happened to my speech!"

Ven rubbed the back of his neck. "I think it happened when you put me under that waterfall," he attempted to explain, "That was probably not the best idea, huh? I'm really sorry, Terra."

Terra took the lump of paper from Ven. "I'm gonna go try to dry this," he grumbled. He handed the flashlight back to Rikku and then stormed out of the cave.

"He's such a grouch today," Rikku commented with a slight frown.

Yuna shrugged. "He's probably just on his man period," she joked, "He gets like this every now and then. It's best to just leave him alone and he gets over it on his own. That speech thing was priceless, though. That's what he gets for splashing me."

"It wasn't all Terra, you know," Ven added nervously, "You're not gonna hurt me are you?"

"Nah, I'm sure you'll get what's coming to you to. I mean, I didn't have to do anything to Terra so I shouldn't have to do anything to you either," Yuna explained as she began to exit the cave, "But we should get out of here. I still want to work on my tan."

Rikku patted Ven's head. "Nothing to worry about, though. I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?" she asked hypothetically.

"I guess it'd be pretty bad if Aqua saw me this way," Ven answered.

They hurried out the mouth of the cave and Ven couldn't believe his eyes. Aqua was standing by the waterfall. Why? He had no idea. Ven sighed and attempted to hide behind Rikku. Aqua smiled and turned to group. "Hey, Terra said you were in the cave. Oh, hi Ven," she happily greeted.

"Someone kill me now," Ven whispered under his breath.

Yuna smirked. "Everyone gets their just desserts," she stated proudly.

Rikku frowned. "What are you talking about? I haven't had any dessert! Did you guys have dessert without me again? That's so unfair!" she whined. Yuna sighed and shook her head.

* * *

><p>Yuna woke up the next morning. She stretched her arms and slung her legs over the side of the bed. "Hm, I feel really sore," she muttered to herself before she let out a yawn. She lazily stood to her feet and shuffled over to her mirror. She screamed when she saw her reflection.<p>

Ven and Terra rushed into the room. "What's wrong?" they asked in unison.

"Look at me!" Yuna shrieked. She was completely red and sunburned from head to toe.

Ven stifled a laugh, "You look like a tomato." Yuna shrieked angrily.

Terra smirked. "I guess everyone really does get their just desserts," he laughed.

Rikku's head popped into Yuna's window. "Where is this dessert!" she cried angrily, "I really want it!"

Roxas burst into the door before the three could even react to Rikku's presence. He pointed toward the window where Rikku was. "You! How dare you bring your evil into this house again! This time I won't let you get away!" Roxas declared bravely. The keyblade returned to his hand and he rushed toward Yuna's window.

Rikku screamed and let go of the ledge of Yuna's window. "You won't get away so easily!" Roxas shouted. He hurriedly jumped out the window after Rikku.

Yuna looked at Ven. "Did your dad just jump out the second story window?" she asked slowly.

Ven sighed and turned toward the hallway. "Mooooom! Dad jumped out the window again!" he cried as loudly as possible.

"Ah! Shit!" came Naminé's reply, "Someone call an ambulance! Agh! I keep telling him that damned keyblade does not make him invincible! Fuck!"

"Man, your mom can sure swear like a sailor," Terra commented out of embarrassment.

Ven shrugged. "That's how she gets when you interrupt her afternoon meditation time," he answered nonchalantly, "Well, I'm gonna go call an ambulance." He left Yuna's room.

"Did that just disturb you?" Terra dared to ask his sister.

"Yeah, I-I think it did," Yuna answered.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: I'm going back to college tomorrow so wish me luck with the new semester! I just wanted to upload this before I leave just in case I get too busy to write like last year. I hope that doesn't happen but I can't guarantee anything. _

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_New Lady_

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><p>Ven morosely walked down the halls of Destiny High. He was still a bit bummed after the 'dance disaster' so he wasn't really in the mood to mingle. He hadn't really talked to Aqua since then, but then again he was kind of scared to talk to her. The words he said to her kept replaying in his head like a broken record and worked to make him more and more embarrassed. He didn't even want to know what she thought of him now.<p>

He walked up to his locker, spun in the code, and popped it open. Much to his surprise, a bunch of pink and red hearts fluttered out of his locker and onto the ground. Ven yelped and stumbled back slipping on one of the hearts.

"That's why you shouldn't litter, Ventus!" thundered his math teacher's voice.

"I'll clean it up!" Ven squeaked. The teacher nodded and walked away. Ven breathed a sigh of relief; the last thing he needed was detention. He hurriedly began to scoop the hearts from the ground when he noticed something peculiar. Each of the hearts had a peculiar word written on the back of them. "Eiko?" Ven read, "What does Eiko mean?"

"I'm Eiko!" came a squeal behind him.

Ven screamed accidentally tossing all the hearts everywhere. He dared to turn around and look at the source of the high-pitched but lady-like squeal. It was a girl, naturally. She was pretty short, but not much shorter than Ven. She had a head of bluish-purple hair that was styled in a neat bob. She had curious, blue eyes that stared at him happily. She wore a yellow ribbon in her hair along with the school's mandatory uniform. He didn't know what to say. He'd never been attacked by a girl before.

Eiko grinned. "Eiko Carol, I transferred here a couple of years ago. We've had some classes together but never formally met…until now!" she giggled flirtatiously. She batted her long eyelashes at him.

He shrunk a bit. Ven was still at a loss for words. "I…uh, I-I don't know what to say," Ven finally sputtered out.

This only made Eiko giggle more. "You're so cute, Ven!" she exclaimed happily, "Let me help you pick these up." Ven slowly began to pick up the hearts while keeping a cautious eye on Eiko. Surely this had to be some sort of trick from Terra. No girl in their right mind would give him so much attention. Unless she wasn't in her right mind. Ven paused.

Eiko grinned and handed her half to him. "What do ya say we eat lunch together today?" she suggested hopefully.

"Uh, sure?" Ven muttered in disbelief. He wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Great!" she cheered, "I'll see you in math, Ven." She waved and quickly excused herself.

Ven watched her leave, still as dumbstruck as before. "That was the weirdest thing…ever," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was the weirdest thing ever?" Terra asked as he came up behind Ven.

Ven shoved the hearts back into this locker. "You should know, you hired her…didn't you?" Ven accused cautiously.

"I didn't hire anybody? What are you talking about?" Terra asked with a raised brow.

Ven rubbed the back of his neck. "So, you don't know anyone by the name of Eiko?" he asked hopefully. Terra shook his head. Before Terra could even ask why that was relevant, Ven told him. "This girl, she just attacked me!" he suddenly exclaimed, "She shoved all those hearts in my locker and then she asked me to eat lunch with her and ah! This is weird!"

Terra laughed. "Ven!" he exclaimed through his chuckles, "This girl likes you! How is that so weird?"

"Girls don't like me…I'm scrawny. Look at me!" Ven exclaimed, "I still wear bootie pajamas to bed!" Everyone in the hallway paused and stared at Ven. Ven blushed. "I-I was just kidding…rehearsing for a play…haha yeah!" he nervously lied. He waited for the crowd to walk away until he dared to speak again. "This doesn't happen to me," Ven added with a frown.

Terra rolled his eyes. "Have more confidence. There's nothing wrong with a girl having a crush on you. Should embrace it. Besides, she can't be so bad, can she?" Terra attempted to encourage him, but he could see it wasn't working well. Ven still looked disillusioned.

"I don't like her, though! I like Aqua!" Ven exclaimed.

"Did someone say something about me?"

Ven froze and slowly turned his head. He internally shrieked like a girl. Aqua was standing behind him with a confused look on her face. Ven opened his mouth to speak but there was nothing he could say to fix what he had already said.

Terra decided to interject. "Ven was just talking about the girl he just met. She really likes him, but he was comparing her to you because he only wants to date girls that are as nice and understanding as you," he quickly said with a smile, "Isn't that right, Ven?"

Ven quickly nodded. He'd have to thank Terra later. "Yeah, you're the model girl for me," Ven quickly added with a slight grin.

Aqua smiled. "Aww, Ven. You're so sweet. You think way too much of me," she happily replied.

"You have no idea," Terra whispered under his breath. Ven swiftly kicked him causing Terra to yelp an 'ow'.

"Anyway, you have a girl that likes you?" Aqua suddenly asked.

Ven felt embarrassed to admit it. He felt like it was going to scare Aqua away…not that she was really near. "Yeah, she asked me to eat lunch with her," Ven quietly explained, "It's no big deal, though."

Aqua smirked and shook her head. "Now Ven, you can't just not give her a chance. Why don't you get to know her? You might like her in return if you do," Aqua suggested, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, but if you already hooked one you might as well take a look at it."

"That was strangely wise," Terra uttered in disbelief, "Anyway, we should get to class. See you later, Ven. We'll have to discuss this more later." He waved and quickly walked away.

Aqua nodded. "I'm so excited for you. I really want to meet this girl," she whispered in his ear before she also walked away.

Ven blushed. He couldn't help but remember his Valentine's kiss. She hadn't been so close to him since then. If only it wasn't because Aqua was trying to set him up with another girl. Ven sighed in defeat. The bell rung to start class. "Agh!" Ven cried as he hurried toward his classroom.

* * *

><p>Lunch came sooner than Ven had anticipated. He slowly entered the cafeteria. He looked around and attempted to hide behind people taller than him. He didn't want Eiko to see him.<p>

"Hi, Ven!"

Ven yelped and practically jumped into the air. Eiko giggled and held out a bento box to him. "I made a lunch for you," she announced proudly.

Ven blushed out of embarrassment. He suddenly felt bad for wasting her time. He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do that, but he felt so bad. "Thank you," Ven whispered as he took the bento box. He stared at it with great curiosity. He'd only seen things like it in mangas and animes; he'd never expected to actually touch one. _'I wonder if the food in this is shaped like octopi?' _he thought with a slight frown.

Eiko only smiled at him. "Want to eat outside? It's a nice day," she suggested warmly. She slipped her arm into his and happily led him toward the cafeteria doors before he could even answer.

She led him to the school's courtyard where she had already set up a blanket for them to sit on. Ven couldn't help but be stunned. No one had ever put so much effort into anything for him, except his mother, of course. He was beginning to think she put in a bit too much effort these days. Still, he sat down and opened the box. As he suspected, there was food shaped like octopi.

"Try it," Eiko urged. The scene was as if it was right out of a manga. Ven felt so awkward, but he wasn't going to not try her food. That would be rude.

Nervously, Ven dared to pick up a rice ball and bite into it. It wasn't bad; he'd never had one before. "This is pretty good," he dared to compliment.

She grinned at him. "I've been working on this lunch for weeks trying to make it perfect for you," she admitted with a small laugh, "I thought food would impress you."

Ven nearly choked on the piece he was chewing. He couldn't believe she just said that. "You did this for me?" he managed to choke out along with the piece of food.

Eiko nodded eagerly. "Yup! I really, really wanted to impress you!" she exclaimed in a sing-song voice.

He frowned. He felt even worse now. He didn't know how to tell her that he already had feelings for another girl; Ven had never been in a situation like this before. He felt unprepared. "I-uh, I gotta be honest," Ven mumbled.

"About what?" Eiko chimed.

Ven sighed and decided to let it out. "I kind of like someone else," he confessed bravely.

"I know," Eiko replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay, wait…what?" Ven uttered in disbelief, "What do you mean you already know?"

"I know about your crush on Aqua," Eiko added, "I mean, everyone but Aqua seems to know about your crush on Aqua. You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Ven blushed. "Everyone knows…but Aqua," he dared to utter. The words felt like bricks falling onto his head.

Eiko put her hand on his shoulder. "But it's okay, Ven. I know I don't have your affections now, but I'm going to try really hard to replace Aqua in your heart. I'm a sophomore just like you, we're the same age and have similar interests. I'm sure if you gave me a chance you would love me too. Besides, Aqua's about to enter another stage in life…we'll always technically be together," Eiko attempted to explain.

Ven didn't want to hear it. He was already well aware that Aqua was about to enter the next stage of life. He didn't need to be reminded of it. He frowned at the thought of losing her to some college guy. "I know…I just…I'm sorry," Ven forced out. He knew it wouldn't be right to yell at her; she didn't deserve that.

"Did I hit a sensitive spot?" Eiko asked worriedly. Ven nodded. "I'm sorry, I just really like you and wish you would see it my way," she confessed.

"I guess I can understand your plight, but I don't know if I'll ever like you. Are you okay with that?" Ven asked.

Eiko nodded. "I've been prepared for it for a while. But that doesn't mean I can't try!" she exclaimed happily. She flung her arms around Ven. "I'm going to try really hard for us so we can end up like couples in mangas! We're going to date, get married, and have children!" she squealed happily.

Ven blushed. "W-What?" he blurted out.

"You're gonna look great in a blue tuxedo," Eiko complimented cheekily.

'_What have I gotten myself into?' _Ven thought as he faked a smile.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Greetings! Well, I'm all settled in my dorm and lonely. Shoot me a message if you're bored, haha. I've got nothing to do but stare at a computer screen for the next couple of days. Classes don't start till Wednesday and my next day of work shouldn't be till Friday. I have absolutely NOTHING to do. So, I'm going to be writing a whole bunch! That's a reason for celebration, right? Well, enjoy the chapter!_

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Girl's Day Out_

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><p>Yuna, Rikku, and Aqua decided to hit the town this Saturday afternoon. Rather than going to the mall, like they always seemed to. They decided to walk around town square and enjoy the outdoor market. It was a nice change.<p>

Rikku glanced over at the snow cone vendor. "Mm, can we get some?" Rikku asked eagerly, "I could really go for one."

Aqua shielded her eyes from the sun as she stared at the vendor. "I'm fine with it if Yuna is," she agreed casually, "The prices seem reasonable." She wouldn't mind an icy treat either. It wasn't unbearable outside, but it was still pretty hot.

"Sounds good to me!" Yuna cheered, "I'm really hot, anyway." She fanned herself with her hand. The three girls hurried over to the snow cone vendor and placed their orders. Rikku got a pineapple flavored snow cone, Yuna chose cherry, and Aqua chose blue raspberry.

Rikku happily began devouring hers. "This is so good! I'm so going to get a brain freeze!" she cheered excitedly.

Yuna laughed and shook her head. "Pace yourself, Rikku," she advised. She turned her attention to Aqua whose mind seemed to be elsewhere. "So, Aqua. Have you decided what college you're going to go to?" she asked curiously.

Aqua sighed and shook her head. "I'm usually really punctual about this sort of thing, but I can't decide if I want to stay here or not. Destiny U, is a really nice school, but I don't know if I want to stay here when I've gotten offers from so many other places," she explained.

Yuna frowned. "Well, I know who would really appreciate if you stuck around for a while," she replied.

"Who?" Aqua asked curiously.

The brunette smiled. She knew Ven would hate her for this later. "Ventus, of course," she replied cheerily.

Aqua smiled. "Ven? I'm sure he would like to see me stay. It's always nice to have friends around," she answered happily.

Yuna laughed at this. "You do know he's crazy about you, right? The signs are as clear as day!" she exclaimed, "This day in particular, because the skies are so clear and it's bright and sunny! I didn't mean to get off topic...anyway. Like I was saying, clear as day."

Aqua paused. "Crazy about me? Sure, he's always thought very fondly of me," she agreed with a small smile.

Rikku shook her head. "No, no, no, NO!" she practically screamed, "How can you be so dense, Aqua? Ven's really, REALLY crazy about you! Like to the point he wants nothing more than to be by your side!" Rikku sighed dreamily. "Ahh! His love for you is like the unnoticed boy in manga to the girl he's been friends with since he was young, but she's never really showed signs of returning his feelings!"

Yuna punched Rikku. "I was trying to be vague about it, but you just threw that out there!" she exclaimed, "Ven is going to be sooo pissed! Mostly at you, though. I'm so telling him you told her." Rikku pouted; she hated having to take the blame for things Yuna started.

"You two are funny. Ven doesn't think of me like that. He sees me as a best friend or older sister, at best," Aqua explained confidently.

Both girls sighed. "Aqua, are you in denial or are you seriously that blind?" Yuna asked, "I mean, he wrote you a Valentine's poem. He went out of his way to dance with you at the Spring Fling. And when I threw that awesome party, he spent all of it with you!"

"And let's not forget how he compares that Icko girl to you!" Rikku interjected.

"Her name is Eiko," Yuna corrected, "But Rikku makes a valid point."

Aqua sighed. "I don't know, maybe I have been ignoring it on purpose. Or maybe I am blind. I just, I guess I have my heart set on someone else," she explained with a slight frown.

Yuna flinched. She never imagined Aqua had a crush on someone else. "Does that someone else like you back?" she dared to ask.

"I don't think so," Aqua replied. The girls came to a bench and decided to sit down.

"Who is it?" Rikku eagerly asked.

Aqua sighed and blushed. "It's Terra," she replied quietly, "It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but he's grown on me during these past few years."

Rikku quickly shut her mouth. It was then she realized just how twisted everything was. She inwardly frowned, but decided not to mention her feelings for Terra to Aqua. She didn't want to create a rivalry between them. After all, she liked Aqua. "That's surprising," Rikku admitted.

"Why my brother? He's not great," Yuna muttered with a slight frown. It seemed as though every friend she had, had a crush on her brother. She wondered if Terra ever had the same problems.

Aqua shrugged. "He's just always been so sweet to me, I guess. He's good-looking. He understands me and we have the nicest conversations. He's the kind of guy I could see myself with in the long run. I know he'd be able to take care of me and whoever else comes along," she explained wisely.

"I know I'm not one to talk, but where's the romance, Aqua? You didn't even talk about how he makes you feel or anything! Aren't you in love? And if you aren't, don't you want to be?" Yuna demanded, "I will not let you live your life like this!"

"Romance isn't as important as support and protection," Aqua argued.

Rikku decided to join in. "Aqua, what was the most romantic thing that has ever happened to you? Regardless of whether or not it's important," she asked curiously.

Aqua blushed. "Ven's poem," she replied rather quickly, "It was the sweetest thing I've ever read."

"Aww! Just hearing you say that makes me feel all mushy inside!" Yuna confessed happily, "Don't you like that feeling better, Aqua? That happy, romancy feeling that you get when you think of stuff like that. I know I do."

"I guess, but it's not practical. Besides, nothing could ever happen between Ven and I. The situation isn't that different from yours and Tidus's," Aqua explained logically, "Even if I should fall for Ven and have him actually like me, we wouldn't be allowed to be together."

Yuna rolled her eyes. "It's called a double standard. And well, Ven's parents are different. Aunt Naminé and Uncle Roxas are way more chill than my parents when it comes to dating. Heh, Uncle Roxas would probably congratulate Ven. And well, Aunt Naminé…let's just say there'd be a lot of picture taking," Yuna explained.

Aqua shook her head. "No, no. It just wouldn't work out. I mean, when I go to college what is Ven going to do?" she asked with a frown, "I'd feel bad for just leaving him even if I do stay here. It wouldn't be the same."

"Ven's stronger than you think," Rikku chirped, "He might get a little jealous, but he'd push through it because you're important to him."

"You both seem so confident," Aqua chuckled, "I wish I could feel the same. But, I don't think it's meant to be. I'm better off with someone like Terra. Someone my age."

Yuna sighed and decided to give up for now. "Fine, fine. But don't be surprised if your mind changes, Aqua. As much as you'll hate to admit it, we women are very emotional creatures. That love bug will bite you eventually, I just hope you see Ven when it does," she stated.

"And not Terra," Rikku grumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Aqua asked.

"Nothing!" Rikku exclaimed happily. She stood up. "What do you say we hit the beach? Or go to that island. I want to do something fun!" she declared to the world. She just secretly didn't want to hear anything more about Aqua's crush on Terra.

Yuna sighed and smiled. "I can't. I'm meeting Tidus soon," she explained, "But you and Aqua can continue hanging out."

Rikku smirked. "Ooh, another secret date with Tidus!" she teased, "Where are you guys going this time?"

Yuna giggled and sighed happily. "Today we're going to go to the other side of the island, you know the uninhabited part? Tidus says the waves are best over there and there's no one to disturb you either," she explained.

"Heh, what will you be doing that could possibly be disturbed?" Rikku teased naughtily.

Yuna slapped Rikku's arm. "It's not like that! Tidus is a gentleman. The most I've ever gotten from him is a kiss on the cheek. He understands that I'm far too young to do any of that canoodling with," she explained proudly.

"So, your relationship is perfectly innocent?" Aqua asked out of curiosity.

"Of course," Yuna replied happily, "I know it's hard to believe since he's older than us, but he really is the kindest, most well-behaved guy you'll ever meet. He's so down to earth and understanding. I could spend forever with him!"

Aqua smiled. "I'm beginning to see what you mean by romance," she suddenly said.

Rikku winked at Aqua. "Just read some mangas and you'll understand it even more," she urged, "I have some if you want to borrow some. I know some that would be perfect for you!"

"Let's not brainwash her, Rikku," Yuna warned.

Rikku pouted. "But brainwashing is fun," she whined.

"You see what you did to Eiko, we don't need that to happen to Aqua," Yuna explained carefully, "She's an manga and anime monster because of you!"

"You mean, Icko? Yeah, I guess I kinda messed her up. Is that why you don't leave any of the new students with me anymore?" Rikku asked out of curiosity.

Yuna nodded. "I already saw what you did to Vanitas. He works at a girly, make-up store for goodness sake!" she exclaimed, "I'm not going to let you corrupt anymore souls."

"Oh, Vanny? Yeah, he's pretty great. He's really enthusiastic about his job," Rikku replied happily.

"If by enthusiastic, you mean unenthusiastic. Then sure," Aqua laughed, "The last time I dared to enter that store he chased me out by spraying perfumes at me, because he didn't want to deal with my business. I couldn't breathe."

Rikku shrugged. "He's always nice to me," she protested.

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure you know what nice is, Rikku," she muttered.

"I'm not sure either," Rikku mumbled. She paused and took a moment to think. "No, no, wait. I'm sure again!" she exclaimed, "Well, off you go, Yunie! You don't want to be late."

Yuna nodded. "I'll see you girls later," she said as she quickly left.

"Want to go to the beach?" Rikku asked happily, "We can ride on my dad's boat."

Aqua nodded. "That sounds nice," she replied.

"Awesome! I'll run ahead and tell him to start it up!" Rikku cheered before she left.

Aqua sighed and stood up. _'Ven, huh? He really is a wonderful guy. I'm sure he'll be just as wonderful when he gets older,' _she thought as she walked toward the beach. _'But what about Terra? And what about Ven? I don't want to accidentally steal his youth from him. What if he isn't mature enough for this? I don't know what to do.' _

"Aqua!" Rikku called from across the beach. She happily waved toward her.

"Coming!" Aqua cried. _'Maybe I'll just forget about it for now…' _


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Hey guys! I hope school is going well for those who have already started! As for me, I've got a couple of days still left so I'm enjoying them. Here's the next update so I hope you enjoy it. Remember, you can still send requests for what you want to see. _

* * *

><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Movie Date_

* * *

><p>"Do you think the others are coming?" Ven nervously asked. He stared at Aqua and could tell she felt as awkward as he did. What made this situation awkward was not because no one else had bothered to show up. What made this situation awkward was because Aqua knew things she wasn't supposed to know. What made this situation awkward was Ven hadn't even gotten to tell her those things himself. Now he just felt like a fool. He sighed.<p>

Aqua shook her head. "No, I don't think they're coming," Aqua replied heavily, "But that's all right, we can still enjoy the movie." She smiled at him.

Ven choked on his saliva. "You really want to see it with me?" Ven asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "Why wouldn't I want to see a movie with you? We're friends, aren't we?" Aqua asked.

He quickly nodded. "Of course, we are. Ah, did you still want to watch the same movie? We can see a different one," Ven quickly suggested. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't going to let it pass him by. He was going to milk this for all it was worth.

"Hm, what are our options?" Aqua thought out loud. She wandered closer to the movie stand and stared up at the showings list. "We could see Scary Night," she suggested. Ven shook his head; he hated scary movies. "How about Ridiculous, Insane, Affection?" she asked.

"What's it about?" Ven asked, "That's a weird title." Aqua shrugged. "Hm, what about Spy Babies?" he suggested. He'd secretly been wanting to see it for a while.

Aqua giggled. "You really want to see Spy Babies? What is that about?" she dared to ask.

"It's about these babies…who are spies. It's cooler than you think," Ven attempted to explain.

"All right, fine. We can watch Spy Babies. You pay for the tickets and I'll pay for the popcorn, deal?" she suggested happily. Ven slowly nodded. He watched her walk into the theatre as he remained in line. He couldn't help but think there was something different about Aqua. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he liked it.

He bought the two tickets and hurried into the theatre. Aqua was seated on a bench mindlessly popping popcorn into her mouth. Ven waved to her and she hurried over to him. "We have a couple of minutes before the show starts, but we could go in an' get some good seats," he suggested.

Aqua nodded. "Lead the way, Ven," she replied with a kind smile.

Ven felt the butterflies in his stomach fluttered as he slowly made his way past the concession stand. His head felt light as he handed the man their tickets. "Theatre 3," the man replied as he handed Ven their stubs.

"Can I have my stub?" Aqua asked.

"Oh, uh, sure," Ven replied as he handed it to her. He shoved his into his pocket. She quietly thanked him. They walked into the theatre and found two seats in the back. Ven took in a deep breath. He didn't know what to do now. He glanced over at her; she was contently watching the commercials on the screen.

Aqua leaned closer to him and nudged his arm. "Hey, Ven," she whispered so she didn't disturb anyone.

"What is it?" Ven asked curiously.

"Can I ask you something?" she requested sweetly. Just the sound of her voice was enough to make him feel light-headed all over again. He simply nodded as he stared at her. The lights began to dim around them and he could no longer see the brightness of her complexion. Her blue hair darkened, but her eyes still shined. He felt mesmerized. "Do you like me?" she quietly asked; the trailers were playing now.

Ven blushed; he was suddenly thankful for the darkness. He knew that she would probably ask him eventually, but he never expected it to be so soon. He knew he would have to answer verbally too, because she probably wouldn't be able to see a nod clearly. He bit down on his bottom lip. _'Just spit it out,' _he thought encouragingly. "Yes, I do," he quietly replied. Somehow he felt relieved from the confession.

"Thank you for being honest with me," Aqua whispered, "We'll talk about this more after the movie, all right."

"Okay," Ven barely managed to whisper. His nerves had returned to him tenfold. He stared at the screen at the front of the theatre in an attempt to distract himself. It wasn't working as well as he'd hoped. All he could concentrate on was Aqua. Every movement she made in her chair made him jump. He didn't know how to settle himself.

'_Calm down, Ven. It's not like you haven't watched a movie with her before! Just…chill,' _he thought. He sighed and sat back in his chair. He placed his arms on the arms of the chair accidentally brushing Aqua's hand. He quickly snapped it away from her. "I'm sorry!" he loudly whispered. People shushed him in the audience.

She smiled. "It's all right," she whispered, "You can have it if you want." She motioned for Ven to take the arm rest.

"No, no, you should have it," Ven quickly replied.

Aqua paused. She stared at him, which made Ven feel even more nervous. At this point, he felt as though his entire body was aflame just from her stare. It felt as though she stared at him for an hour before she finally turned away. She didn't say anything either. Now, he was officially freaked out. _'What if I upset her? What if she hates me now? Agh!' _he thought as he tried to concentrate on the spy babies. They were crawling through a jungle, but he didn't care. He just wanted to talk to Aqua. Whoever thought that seeing a movie with a date was a good idea was very, very wrong.

She shifted in her seat and leaned closer toward him. She leaned closer to his ear; Ven's heart accelerated. He could feel her breath in his ear; tingles jerked through his body. "Do you want some popcorn?" she asked.

Ven shivered and quickly stuck his hand into the bucket. He robotically nodded as he took some. "T-Thank you," he nervously stammered.

Ven suffered through the hour and a half. He was happy when it was finally over. He glanced over at Aqua who looked as though she had enjoyed herself. She even had a bit of popcorn in her hair. He chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Aqua asked obliviously.

"You've got some popcorn in your hair," Ven laughed. He stood up and reached over to remove it. He plucked it from her blue strands of hair and smiled. "There," he announced proudly.

"Thanks," Aqua replied happily. She stood up and smoothed out her clothing. They walked out the theatre and threw away their unfinished bucket of popcorn along with the piece that had somehow found its way in Aqua's hair.

They exited the theatre. Ven breathed in the fresh air. "Well, how did you like the movie?" he asked. Since he hadn't really managed to watch it he was curious if Aqua had.

"Oh, it was all right. I didn't know babies could be so…active," she replied quizzically, "It was definitely something I've never seen before. I liked it, though."

Ven smiled. "I'm glad you liked the movie," he replied happily. He was a little worried that she wouldn't when they chose it.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Aqua suddenly asked. Ven eagerly nodded. He had only dreamt of going on a walk with Aqua. He didn't care that his mother had told him to come straight home after the movie. Aqua was worth the trouble. "Great," Aqua replied happily. They walked in the direction of the beach, which was opposite of where they lived.

As they walked, Ven managed to catch glimpses of her. She was beautiful. Her hair shined radiantly underneath the moonlight. She appeared to be deep in thought. He wanted to wonder what she was thinking about, but he had a sinking suspicion that he already knew.

"Have we ever talked about serious things, Ven?" Aqua suddenly asked. He didn't like how all her questions seemed to come out of nowhere.

"No, I don't think we have. Do you want to?" Ven dared to ask.

"I think I do," she quickly replied, "Have I ever told you what I want out of life?" Ven had to shake his head. It was something he always wondered, but never bothered to ask. "I want to be able to take care of the ones I love. I want security. I want to be able to live every day without having to worry about the next one," she explained.

Ven felt confused. "Aqua, that's impossible," he replied, "I mean, well. There's security, but worrying is just natural. There's a difference between bad worry and good worry, though. Sometimes being concerned just shows that you're human. The only way you're going to get that is if you live under a rock."

"You think so?" Aqua replied, "No one's ever told me that before. Well, what do you want out of life?"

Ven grinned. No one had bothered to ask him that question, ever. Not even his own parents. "I'm glad you asked, heh. I want to be something great! I want to be someone everyone remembers for all the great and kind things he did. I also want to settle down and have a family eventually too," Ven explained happily, "I see myself taking after my dad."

Aqua chuckled, "So, you're going to chase Rikku out of your house too?"

Ven laughed. "Well, I want to take after my dad's good side," he joked, "He's pretty amazing, you know. My mother used to tell me stories about how they fell in love. They were really sweet."

Aqua smiled. "So, you're a romantic?" she asked curiously.

Ven blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I am," he replied, "But you're not, huh? You're more of a realist."

She shrugged. "I don't know what I am anymore," she replied dreamily, "I guess I'm slowly changing my mind about things. It's not black and white for me anymore."

"That's good to hear. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Ven asked. He didn't want to seem like he was rushing her, but he did want to keep the conversation flowing. He'd never had an opportunity to talk to Aqua like this. He liked it.

"Oh, there was something. Ven, how long have you…cared for me?" she asked quietly. She did her best to try not to embarrass him, but she knew it was inevitable.

"Oh," Ven murmured. He could feel a blush coming on. "For years," he replied, "It's been a really long time."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Aqua asked.

He shrugged. "I didn't want to ruin our friendship. And well, let's face it. I'm two years younger than you. Why would you ever be interested in me," Ven explained with a sigh, "I didn't see the point in telling you."

She frowned. "Ven, nothing could ever ruin our friendship. Just promise you'll be honest with me from now on, okay? And I'll be honest with you," she struck a deal, "Promise?" Ven reluctantly nodded. He wasn't sure what he was agreeing to. She smiled.

"So, you still like Terra?" Ven asked quietly.

Aqua sighed. "I don't think I know anymore. I've been really confused about my feelings lately. So, can I take a rain check on that question?" she requested.

"Only if you tell me what confused you," Ven replied.

"You," she quietly answered, "You confused me."

Ven felt his heart flutter. "Is that a good thing?" he slowly asked.

"I-I don't know."


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: New chapter! I've been really wanting to post this one, so I hope you enjoy it! _

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Busted_

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><p>"Tidus, ssh! My parents might hear you," Yuna whispered as she crept toward the back door. Tidus followed behind her making sure not to make any noise. "I'll get you a glass of water, but then you have to leave, okay?" she whispered as she slowly pulled open the back door. She checked the kitchen to make sure no one was there.<p>

"I got it," Tidus whispered back as he followed her inside. The two snuck through the kitchen toward the refrigerator. Yuna opened a cabinet and grabbed a glass for Tidus. She put her finger over her lips as she tiptoed toward the refrigerator. She placed the glass against the water dispenser and slowly let water fill the glass.

"What tuh hell!"

Yuna screamed and dropped the glass on the floor. Luckily, it was made of plastic so it didn't shatter. She looked in the doorway and saw her father, Sora, standing there with a bat in his hand. "H-Hi, Dad!" she nervously greeted, "It's-uh…not what it looks like?" She nervously smiled.

"Kairi!" Sora screamed, "Yuna snuck in a boy so she could give him water! An' not jus' any boy! It's Tidus!"

Yuna rubbed the back of her neck. "So, maybe it is what it looks like," she muttered under her breath. She turned to Tidus and smiled apologetically.

"Dun' you look at him," Sora angrily commanded, "Go sit to the kitchen table, now. Tidus, too."

Yuna sighed and trudged over to the kitchen table. "This is just great," she grumbled as she pulled out a chair and sat down. She crossed her arms and slouched in her seat. "I'm really sorry about this, Tidus," she managed to whisper.

Kairi entered the kitchen in her pink nightgown. "What's going on?" she whined, "I just wanted to sleep an' then I hear all this screaming? What's Tidus doing here?"

Sora sighed and put his arm around his wife's shoulder. He guided her toward the kitchen table. "Yuna was tryin' tuh sneak a guy in tuh house," Sora explained as he pulled out a chair for Kairi.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. She looked to her right and saw Tidus waving at her. She frowned and sat down. "I see, so…what were you two planning on doing? Gonna play scrabble?" she dared to ask. Kairi was still a little tired so she wasn't firm in her questioning. She yawned.

Yuna rolled her eyes. "I was just getting Tidus a glass of water!" she exclaimed, "It's not like I was going to take him up to my room or anything, geez! What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Sora slammed his fist on the table getting everyone's attention. "That might be so!" he uncharacteristically screamed, "But why were you with Tidus in the first place? An' dun' act coy with me! I want the truth!"

Yuna shrank in her chair. Who knew her parents could be so smart in the middle of the night. "Fine! We were…hanging out beforehand. We went to the beach to watch the sun set. Is that so wrong?" she asked with a frown apparent on her face.

"Yes! Because we told yuh yer not spose' tuh hang out with Tidus!" Sora shouted angrily, "Yuh disobeyed me! Yuh disobeyed yer mother! Yuh disobeyed yer aunt and uncle! Yuh disobeyed Terra! Yuh even disobeyed Ven an' he had nothin' tuh do with this!"

"Neither did Terra or Aunt Naminé and Uncle Roxas!" Yuna exclaimed, "How dare you drag everyone into this! I still don't even understand why you won't let me date him! You've known him for years, dad! He used to work for you. You didn't care that we hung out then, so why do you care so much now?"

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he realized he had nothing to say. Sora sat down and held his head in his hands. "Cause…yer..yer way too young, yeah that's it!" he suddenly exclaimed, "Yer too young tuh date boys."

"I've been dating boys since I was 15, dad," Yuna grumbled.

"What?" Sora thundered, "I didn't give permission fer that!" He looked over at Kairi who was nervously smiling at him. "What is this?" he asked, "We're supposed tuh be a united front!"

Kairi shrugged. "I thought you were being too hard on her. I mean, she just wanted to go to the movies with her friends and you said no because some of her friends were boys. Don't you think you're being a little strict, honey?" Kairi asked sweetly, "Let's jus' calm down and deal with this rationally."

"Thank you!" Yuna groaned.

Kairi turned to her daughter and smiled. "You haven't been on any real dates with Tidus, have you?" she asked ever so kindly.

Yuna shrugged. "We had dinner yesterday. And we went to the movies the day before," she replied carelessly.

"What?" Kairi screamed in outrage, "How dare you date him behind my back! What were you thinking, Yuna? You've never acted so out of line!"

"You guys are being ridiculous!" Yuna exclaimed in frustration.

"Can I say something?" Tidus asked suddenly. The three Strife's turned to look at him. "Now that I have your attention, uh, well, yeah. Um, I admit I've been seeing your daughter behind your back. But I swear I've been a gentleman the entire time. You know me, I'd never do anything inappropriate to Yuna. It's that, well," he stumbled through his speech. He turned to look at Yuna and sighed, "I was hoping to tell you this more privately later."

"He said private!" Sora shrieked. He jumped out of his chair and pointed and screamed, "You, sex fiend!"

"No!" Tidus cried, "Not that…agh! I'm in love with your daughter!" Sora was still shrieking so no one heard him.

"Shut up, Sora!" Kairi screamed.

"All of yuh shut up! The better half of tuh Strife's is trying to sleep!" Roxas thundered from the kitchen doorway, "If I hafta come down 'ere one more time I'm bringin' my damn keyblade and whackin' yuh all!"

"We're havin' a family discussion! Put in some damn earplugs, Roxas!" Sora screamed back. Roxas shrunk back. Sora had never actually screamed at him before. He didn't know how to handle this. Roxas quickly retreated back up the stairs crying for his wife. Sora sighed and looked at Tidus. "Now, what were you saying?" he asked calmly.

Tidus sighed. He could already tell this was going to be a long, long night. "I'm in love with Yuna," he confessed again.

Yuna gasped happily. "Really?" she exclaimed. She motioned to hug him, but quickly stopped when she realized her parents were staring at her. She sheepishly laughed and moved away.

"What makes you think yer good enough fer my Yuna?" Sora asked sternly.

Tidus shrugged. "I guess I'm not. But I could try to be," he answered honestly. Yuna wanted to swoon; she didn't understand how this moment could go from being so horrible to being so strangely romantic.

"I dun' want my daughter datin' a sports man. Yer gonna be gone all tuh time an' never have time tuh take care of my daughter," Sora replied with a frown.

"But dad –!"

Tidus shook his head. "No, Yuna. Your father's right. I won't have time for you if I keep playing Blitzball. That's why I'm going to quit," he announced.

"Tidus," Yuna whispered in disbelief.

"I'm going to stop playing Blitzball competitively. And I'm going to open up that hotel and once my business is successful and Yuna's done with school, I want to marry her," Tidus confessed, "I promise I won't move her away from her family. We'll stay here in Destiny Islands."

Kairi and Yuna sighed dreamily. "This is the happiest day of my life!" both women declared happily. Kairi and Yuna looked at each other strangely. "The happiest day of your life? You mean, mine!" they both exclaimed in unison. They glared at each other.

Sora rolled his eyes. "And what if your hotel doesn't work out? What are you going to do then?" he asked curiously.

"It is going to work out, but my backup plan is just getting a job around town. I'll make enough to support us," Tidus replied confidently.

There were practically stars in Yuna's eyes. "Come on, daddy!" she begged excitedly, "You used to like Tidus."

Sora sighed and looked to Kairi. "What do you think?" he asked her.

"I think it's wonderful!" Kairi exclaimed happily, "Please dad–I mean, Sora." She coughed and quickly looked away.

"Fine!" Sora gave in, "But I'll be watching you! Both of you! Hell, all three of you! Kairi, yer really scarin' me wit all this vicarious shit! But I give you my permission, date Yuna. But if you have sexual relations with 'er of any kind before yer wedding day I'm putting my foot down!"

Tidus nodded. "You won't regret this, I swear," Tidus replied happily, "You don't mind if I kiss her, though. Do you?"

"Ye–!"

Kairi quickly covered Sora's mouth. "No, he doesn't mind at all. Haha, feel free to kiss her right now if you want," Kairi eagerly urged. She wore a creepy smile.

Tidus rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually…I think I'll save the kiss for later," he awkwardly mumbled, "I'll come pick you up and take you to school tomorrow, Yuna."

Yuna nodded. "I'll be waiting for you outside," she replied. She stood up and walked Tidus to the back door. She waved goodbye as she watched him begin his long walk home. She sighed happily as she closed the door.

Sora and Kairi eyed her. "Yer still in trouble fer disobeying us," Sora grumbled, "Yer grounded for two weeks, with no cell phone."

Yuna giggled and happily ran to hug her parents. "I don't give a damn!" she practically sang as he gracefully pranced away from them.

"Yuna!" Sora gasped in horror, "That's another week!"

Yuna happily danced out of the kitchen. She poked her head back around the corner and smiled. "I still don't give a damn, dad!" she sang happily, "But, I'm going to bed now so you can keep adding weeks if you want. Gooood NIIIIGHT!"

Sora grumbled and stood up. He crossed his arms and muttered profanities under his breath. Kairi laughed at him. "What's so funny?" he angrily asked her.

Kairi stood up and approached him. She lightly kissed his cheek. His face muscles instantly relaxed. "I didn't realize you'd be as strict with Yuna as you were with me," she whispered, "It's kinda sexy." She winked at him before she walked away.

Sora grinned dreamily. "Sexy, eh?" he chuckled happily.

"Yeah," Kairi whispered seductively, "So sexy. You better hurry up and get upstairs." She smiled at him as she slipped out of the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah!" Sora cheered excitedly. He hurried out of the kitchen and grabbed Kairi before she could even step onto the stairs. She giggled as he lifted her from the ground. "I don't think I can wait long enough to get up the stairs," he whispered as he stared into her eyes.

"Secret room, then?" Kairi asked happily.

Sora nodded and hurried down the hallway. He reached the end of the hall. He flipped a switch that was cleverly disguised as a light switch with the words 'do not touch' written underneath it. He stepped against the wall and it slowly rotated enclosing Sora and Kairi on the other side.

Ven and Terra slowly tiptoed down the stairs. "Did you see that?" Ven exclaimed in disbelief, "I bet that's where they keep all the Christmas presents!"

Terra's face turned green. "I really, really hope not," he gagged. He couldn't shake the images of Sora and Kairi canoodling on top of his Christmas presents. He gagged again. "I-I gotta go." He quickly ran up the stairs.

Ven watched him curiously. "What? They're probably just playing games back there!" he called after Terra.

Yuna hung over the railing of the second story. "The kind of games your parents played that night you slept in their bed. You know, after they thought you were asleep," Yuna announced slyly. She winked at Ven before she happily skipped away.

Ven paused. He twitched a little, and then ran for the bathroom.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: This one is a little more emotional than it is funny. So, I hope you enjoy it anyway! I feel as though I haven't given this pairing enough light even though I promised a bit of a love triangle, so here you go.  
><em>

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Nightly Heart to Heart_

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><p>Terra strolled over to the bench Aqua was seated on. He immediately noticed how distant she was. She appeared to be so deep in thought; she didn't even notice when he sat down next to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but then decided against it. They stayed in a contemplative silence until Terra finally said, "Hey, Aqua."<p>

Aqua turned her head to look at him. She smiled, but Terra could already see through her. Something was bothering her, and he was pretty sure that was the reason he'd been called out here in the middle of the night. "You know, it took a lot of effort to sneak out. So, what did you want to tell me?" Terra asked.

"Terra, where do you see yourself in ten years?" Aqua suddenly asked. She looked away from him and stared up to the moon.

"I haven't really thought about it. I imagine I'll be out of college and working a job somewhere," he answered honestly.

She frowned a bit. A part of her didn't like the idea of not having Terra here. "Do you think you'll still be here?" she asked again. He could almost feel the sadness in her voice. It was strange. Aqua had never acted so down; it almost worried him.

Terra attempted to smile. He put his hand on her shoulder causing her to look at him with her confused, blue eyes. "Of course I'll still be around. Is this what this is about? You're worried we're all going to split up after graduation?" Terra asked curiously, "Because, you know, you don't have to worry about that."

"No, it's about something different. I haven't been entirely honest with you, Terra," Aqua slowly began. She stared into his blue eyes and found herself lost in their gentle hue. He was so clueless; she sighed. "I know you're not interested in dating, but if I don't get this off my chest I'm going to explode. I like you, Terra. And I have for such a long time." Terra opened his mouth to speak, but Aqua quickly shushed him. "I know you don't feel the same, and I don't care. I just had to tell you, because it's been bothering me."

He raised a brow. "What's bothering you about it?" he asked. Terra didn't know what else to say. He always had a suspicion Aqua cared for him, but he wasn't entirely sure. Aqua was hard to read.

Aqua sighed and looked away. She held her head in her hands. "Ven," she murmured.

He hid his smile from her. "Ven, huh? He's a pretty great guy, you know. Much better than me," he replied contently.

It was her turn to raise a brow. "You're always teasing him when he's around, yet the second he's gone you'll say the nicest things," she commented curiously, "Are you afraid to admit to him that you actually care?"

He laughed at her. "No, it's just easier this way. I'm not one to praise people," he explained, "We wouldn't want our Ven to get a big head, huh?"

Aqua rolled her eyes. "That makes me wonder what you say about me when I'm not around," she joked.

Terra smirked. "I say you're the most amazing girl I've ever met," he replied as he scooted closer to her, "I admit to having a huge crush on you when we were younger, but now that's faded to simple admiration. I love you, Aqua, but not in the way you want me to. To me, you are like a sister," he explained.

She smiled sadly and nodded. "I had a feeling that was how it was," she answered quietly. She didn't know why, but she felt herself begin to choke up. She wanted to cry, but the tears would not come. The strangest part was she didn't know if they were sad tears or happy ones. "I'm just glad we could have this talk," she whispered.

He frowned a bit. He hated to see her so sad. "But you know," he quietly began. She looked at him. "Ven is crazy about you. He has been since we were all young," he confessed.

Aqua chuckled and sighed. "So, I've heard. It's strange, though. He's apparently liked me for such a long time, yet I never suspected anything. I'm not sure if that's because I was blind or he was just really good at hiding it," she replied almost happily.

"You were blind, I'm pretty sure," Terra joked. Aqua playfully pushed his arm. "But in all seriousness, perhaps you should consider him."

"I am considering him, which is why I needed to talk to you to get out all these feelings," Aqua explained, "I've been so confused lately when it comes to my feelings. I feel torn between what I thought I wanted and what I'm beginning to want."

He sighed, "Am I what you thought you wanted?" Aqua quietly nodded. "Aqua, I'm no good for you. It just wouldn't be a good match. Sure, our life together would be the most productive and successful life ever. And I mean that!" Aqua laughed. "But there wouldn't be the love you've always wanted between us. Our life together would be full of fondness, not passion. I'm sure you want more than simply fondness, don't you?"

"You're more like your sister than you realize," Aqua laughed, "But yes, I suppose I would like more than just fondness. I'm not exactly a romantic, but it would be nice to have some kind of passion at the end of the day."

She curiously turned toward him and smiled. "Wouldn't you like that also?" Aqua suddenly asked, "Or are you planning on living a life without that?"

He shrugged. "I haven't really decided what I want out of life. I don't even know what I'm going to study in college or where I'm going to study. I'll probably end up going to Destiny U with Yuna, though. As far as my love life goes, I might just completely avoid it until I graduate with a bachelors," he explained, "Having a girlfriend would just take up all my time."

Aqua shook her head. "You make it seem as though relationships are a burden," she commented almost sadly, "They have their benefits, you know. There's nothing like having someone always there to support you in whatever you do."

Terra chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. "That's what I hear. But I don't know, I don't have the munny to sustain a girlfriend. I'm not even sure a girl would want me. I'm simple and not romantic in the slightest way. I've got nothing to offer a girl. I'm incapable of being a compassionate, sweet individual. You know that," he explained.

"Terra, you are compassionate and sweet. I just told you my feelings and you haven't once ridiculed me for having them. You have so much to offer a girl, you don't even know. You're supportive, whether you admit it or not. You're loving but you're too embarrassed to show that side of yourself. You're wonderful. You don't even need the munny; I'm sure a girl would just be happy to lounge around with you," Aqua confessed quietly, "It's what I used to want."

"Ah, Aqua. You sure know how to embarrass a guy," he nervously laughed.

She smiled at him. He paused and stared into her eyes; they were so blue underneath the moon's glow. He could see why Ven was so crazy about her. Aqua was beautiful. She lifted her hand and lightly caressed his cheek. "You're going to make a girl very happy someday," she whispered as she stared into his eyes.

Her glance felt so intense to him; it was like she could see right through him. He watched as she slowly moved closer to him. Her face was only inches from his, but she only continued to stare into his eyes. "Terra," she suddenly whispered, "Why are you so afraid?"

He paused. Terra hadn't realized it until now. He was afraid. He was so afraid. Aqua's touches and motions had driven him into a shell he never knew he had. He hadn't even noticed that with every inch she dared to move forward, he'd retracted a centimeter. Why was he so afraid to be loved by a woman? What was so scary about it? "I-I don't know," he whispered honestly.

"You shouldn't be, Terra. There's nothing to be afraid of," she quietly answered, "Love isn't a monster that's going to bite your head off." She playfully smiled at him.

Terra smirked. "I'm not so sure," he replied. He couldn't help but feel himself melt underneath Aqua's gentle touch. It frightened him how much power she had over him.

She only continued to smile as she gently pulled him closer to her with her hand. She rested her forehead against his as she continued to stare into his pools of blue. "Normally, I wouldn't do this, but I feel it's necessary for your growth, Terra. After this, we shall go our separate ways emotionally and shall be nothing but great friends," Aqua vowed.

"Aqua, what are you doing?" Terra asked nervously.

She looked deeply into his eyes. "Promise me, you'll find someone to make you happy," she urged.

He was at a loss for words. Her stare had never been so intimidating. He wanted to shrink and disappear into the air. "I-I promise," he nervously stammered.

"Promise me we'll always be the best of friends," Aqua continued.

"I promise," Terra answered more confidently.

She smiled and moved a bit closer to him. "Promise me you'll be around when I finally get to be with that special person," she whispered. Terra could feel her breath on his lips; the sensation was almost maddening. He only nodded, afraid that if he spoke the moment would be ruined. "Thank you, Terra," she quickly whispered before she pulled him into a kiss. Terra's eyes widened from both fear and surprise as Aqua forcefully trapped in a kiss. He'd never felt something so passionate.

He slowly relaxed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her to deepen the kiss. His eyelids closed and he dared to return her sudden kiss. As soon as he did, she pulled away from him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Terra. Don't you dare forget what you promised me," she quickly said. She stood to her feet, waved goodbye, and ran toward where her home was.

'_I think I'm less confused now, I just hope I make the right choice,' _she thought as she ran away.

Terra fell against the bench surprised and out of breath. He never imagined that Aqua would kiss him with such intensity. His lips tingled from the recent contact they had with Aqua's. His insides felt like spaghetti. He placed a hand on his heart; he could feel its rapid beating through his chest. He looked around him; everything felt so surreal.

"Aqua," he whispered curiously. Just the sound of her name escaping his lips was enough to make them tingle with delight. Why had she done that? Did she do it to make sure she had no feelings for him or did she do it to flaunt herself? Terra had never felt this way before. It was almost as though he had feelings for her, but that was insane. There was no way he could possibly have feelings for Aqua.

He held his head in his hands as he now stared at the moon. He felt as contemplative as Aqua had felt. "I can't do that to, Ven," he murmured, "I shouldn't even be thinking about Aqua this way…this is crazy!" He growled and tugged on his hair angrily. "I'm out of my mind!" he screamed. He heard a yelp sound from behind him. Curiously, he turned around and saw Rikku cowering behind him. "Rikku?" he murmured quietly.

She nervously waved. "I thought I heard your voice," she whispered delicately, "So, I had to come over here to see if it was actually you. What are you doing out here so late, Terra?"

Terra sighed and replied, "To be honest, I don't know anymore."

Rikku gave him a small smile. It was then he noticed just how beat up she appeared. She had smudges of dirt on her skin, her clothes were partially torn, and her hair was a mess. "Rikku, what are you doing out here?" he dared to ask.

She laughed sheepishly. "Me? Oh, just a nightly stroll!" she replied nervously.

He raised a brow. He could see right through her; there was something she wasn't telling him, and he was going to find out. "Rikku," he muttered sternly.

"Please don't ask me about it," Rikku begged, "Can you just walk me home?"

Terra was taken aback. There hadn't been a time that Rikku didn't want to tell him something. In fact, he had a hard time getting her to stop telling him things. He genuinely felt concerned. "All right," he agreed, "But I'm going to get it out of you eventually, Rikku. You can't hide whatever this is forever."

"Thanks," Rikku quietly mumbled.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Hello! New chapter! I really hope you like this one!  
><em>

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><p><strong>How to Eat a Paopu Fruit<strong>

_Shock!_

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><p>"Bye, Yuna," Tidus whispered with a smile. He leaned in and kissed Yuna sweetly on her lips. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he whispered into her ear as he pulled away. Yuna giggled bashfully; her entire face was red. She took a step away from him, but he happily pulled her back into his chest causing her to giggle more. Ven rolled his eyes at their sickening display of love. He watched as Tidus whispered sweet things into her ear; he would need a barf bag if they continued like this.<p>

"Say it again!" Yuna cried happily as she held Tidus's smooth cheeks in her hands.

He grinned at her. He gently rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you," he gently cooed.

"Ugh! Get a room!" Ven grumbled before he stormed away. Terra lingered; he smirked at the couple. They hadn't even noticed Ven's outburst. He shrugged and walked away. Somehow, it didn't bother him anymore.

Terra began his walk toward the school doors and spotted Rikku squirming her way through people. She was short compared to most of the population so no one really noticed her trying to get through. Normally, he'd let her struggle and watch with a sly chuckle or two. But now, he felt compassionate to her cause for reasons he didn't understand. He reached out for her collar and yanked her toward him. She opened her mouth to scream, but then met his eyes. "Terra?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Yo," he coyly greeted as he helped her push through the large amount of students.

She smiled happily. "You actually want to talk to me…in the morning! Before you even have to deal with me in class!" she harped happily.

"Don't make me regret it," Terra warned. Rikku couldn't tell if he was being playful or serious, not that it really mattered. She squealed happily and pulled him into a tight embrace. Terra shuddered from her touch, but didn't knock her away like he usually would.

Rikku pulled away suddenly indifferent to the situation. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked suspiciously, "Are you planning something? Oh! You found out about my tapes, didn't you? Now you're just trying to lure me into a sense of security before you destroy me!" Rikku began to loudly wail in the hallway.

Terra freaked out and seized her shoulders. "Rikku, shut up!" he practically screamed at her as he attempted to shake some sense into her. She was silenced. "What a minute…what tapes?" he dared to ask.

She only grinned. "I-uh, have a video project, heh," she nervously answered, "It's not like I made home videos of you or anything. That's creepy. I'd never, NEVER do that!"

He pushed her away from him causing her to stumble back into the lockers. She opened her mouth to whine, but Terra quickly covered it. "You know, I think I like you better in the middle of the night when you're quiet and don't say much," he whispered into her ear, "But anyway, Rikku. You can't just make videos of people without their permission, so I demand you surrender your collection." Rikku's voice was muffled by his hand. He sighed and removed it.

"My whole collection?" she asked. He nodded. "Okay, I'll send the truck over later today."

"The truck?" Terra exclaimed. He didn't know whether to be surprised by her easy agreement or by the fact she needed a truck to transport them.

She eagerly nodded. "I have a whole truck's worth! I've been taping you since the day we met and I fell in–uhh, I gotta go!" she quickly screamed. She pushed Terra away from her and quickly began to run down the hallway before he could catch her.

Terra rubbed the back of his neck. "She is something else, I swear," he muttered under his breath.

"Hello, Terra."

He turned around and saw Aqua walking toward him. He felt his breath hitch as their kiss played through his mind. "Aqua," he quietly greeted. She smiled at him.

She suddenly smirked uncharacteristically. "I saw that, you know," she quietly announced. Terra was puzzled. "You like Rikku, don't you?" she teased.

"What?" Terra burst, "No way! There's no way I could ever LIKE Rikku, are you nuts?"

Aqua chuckled and let out a disappointed sigh. "I guess you really haven't figured out your emotions, have you? But I'm sure Rikku is more than willing to wait for you. But just in case, you should ask her out before anyone else sees her undeniable charm," Aqua happily advised. Terra had no idea what to say. It was like she understood him more than he understood himself. He didn't like the gleam in her eye; it reminded him of Yuna's warning smile. Yuna had this smile she would use whenever she was secretly plotting something. If only he had known that the day she rigged the toilet to splash all over him. "Anyway, have you seen, Ven?" she suddenly asked; the gleam was gone.

"He's probably still at his locker," Terra mumbled. She said her thanks before she began to walk away. Terra watched her as she left. He couldn't help but oogle her from head to toe. Why was he suddenly so aware of the other sex? "Gah!" he exclaimed before he turned and walked away.

Aqua hurried over to Ven's locker. As Terra had guessed, Ven was still trying doing his best to yank open the door to his locker. Aqua chuckled and approached him. She shoo'd him away and then easily pulled open the door. "Thanks, Aqua," Ven murmured in surprise.

"Make sure you let the latch down next time," she advised, "So, I was wondering if you would like to have lunch together today."

Ven fell silent. Did Aqua just ask to do something with him? There had to be some kind of catch. He cautiously peered past the door of his locker. "Are we having some kind of group lunch?" he questioned.

"No, I thought it could just be you and me," Aqua replied casually, "Maybe we could talk about some things."

His heart suddenly lurched. "I-uh, sure!" he stammered as he tried to find the words. He wanted to act as casual and smooth as she had, but he was failing miserably. He closed the door to his locker and locked eyes with her. There was something different about her. The way she looked at him was almost like the way she used to look at Terra. It gave Ven butterflies from his head to his toes.

"Great," she replied happily, "See you at lunch, Ven." She leaned over and gently placed a kiss on his cheek. Ven's entire body lit up from the contact. He dreamily watched as she walked away.

"Aqua," Ven sighed happily as he slowly fell victim to the strong, lovely feelings within him. He slumped toward ground and stared in the direction she had gone.

"Ventus Cloud Strife!" a voice thundered.

Ven instantly snapped out of his stupor. He lazily looked behind him and saw Eiko towering over him, for once, probably the only time in her whole, entire life. "Eiko?" he muttered. She yanked him to his feet.

"How dare you cheat on me!" she practically screamed at him. Her blue hair tossed everywhere as she angrily shook her head. "I thought we had something special!" she suddenly cried, "Am I doomed to a life alone?"

Ven stepped away from her. "We were never together!" he fearfully admitted.

Eiko brought herself to tears. "How can you say that, Ven? Don't you remember us? What about that time in science when I mixed chemicals in a test tube to make it as red and passionate as my love for you?" she pathetically asked, "Didn't that mean something to you? Didn't it affect you at all?"

"Pfft, yeah! It exploded on me and I had to go to the hospital! Don't you know better? You're not supposed to mix radioactive chemicals! My life span might've been shortened because you!" Ven shouted angrily.

"Okay, not one of our best memories. What about the time in English where we recited Romeo and Juliet together?" she begged, "Wasn't that romantic?"

Ven shook his head. "Actually, you recited Romeo and Juliet with Demyx, not me," he corrected.

Eiko giggled and stepped closer to him. "I pretended it was you, though," she whispered into his ear.

Ven shuddered in disgust. "That explains why you suddenly, out of character, grabbed Demyx and kissed him like there was no tomorrow," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Eiko asked.

"N-Nothing, you know what? I gotta go! See ya!" Ven suddenly said. She motioned to grab him, but he quickly dodged her swipe and ran down the hallway.

"Ventus Cloud Strife! You will love me!" Eiko shouted down the hallway as he ran away.

* * *

><p>"Ven!" Aqua called from the table she usually sat at, except this time she was alone. Ven nervously gripped his sack lunch and dared to walk over to her. She smiled at him and patted the seat next to hers. He still couldn't believe this was happening. He never expected Aqua to want to have lunch with him. He never expected her to ever want to spend time with him alone unless they were forced into it. He nervously sat down next to her. "Hey, how are you?" she kindly greeted.<p>

Ven rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest, a little confused," he replied, "I don't want to be rude, but what's this all about?"

Aqua smiled. "As smart as ever, Ven. I wanted to talk to you about something important," she answered, "You told me you liked me, but I never got to tell you how I feel about you."

If Ven had been eating something at that moment, he was sure he would've choked. "And h-how do you feel?" he stammered nervously. He'd never expected a reply from her.

"Ven, I wanted to tell you that I'm working out my feelings. I know I told you I liked Terra before, but I realized that I liked him for all the wrong reasons. You're the only one that's ever bothered to give me the attention that I deserve, Ven. You're sweet and you care about my feelings. And I want to give this a shot. What do you think, Ven?" Aqua proposed.

Ven wanted to explode into beautiful fireworks. "Are you sure about this?" Ven asked in disbelief.

Aqua nodded. "I'm sure, but there is something I have to tell you. Just so everything's out on the table. I kissed Terra," she replied.

Ven frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"I had to see if I had feelings for him, and I didn't," she answered.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Well, if that's the only reason why. I'm okay with it," he bravely replied.

Aqua pulled some hair behind her ear. "So, then…are we together?" she asked hopefully. Ven slowly nodded; he was doing his best to maintain his calm, but he wasn't perfect. He looked at her with the same longing eyes he'd looked at her with for so many years. "Ven?" Aqua called curiously.

Ven couldn't control himself any longer. "I love you!" Ven practically screamed before he grabbed Aqua and pulled her into an intense lip lock. Aqua's eyes widened as Ven managed to slip his tongue into her mouth. Shivers surged down her spine; she smiled and closed her eyes daring to return Ven's kisses.

"Ventus Strife! Aqua Leonhart!" a teacher screamed. Ven and Aqua quickly yanked away from each other and stared at the teacher with wide eyes. "Principal's office now!" she angrily shouted.

After hours and hours of being lectured on how their display was inappropriate and the parent phone calls, Aqua and Ven were released. They were scheduled for detention every day after school for two weeks. As they walked home, Ven smirked and laughed to himself.

"What's so funny?" Aqua asked.

"I never thought I'd kiss you like that," he replied. He looked at her. "And I think I want to do it again."

"Ven!" Aqua yelped as Ven lunged at her.


End file.
